The face of an angel bearing a striking likeness to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been erased from a fresco in one of Rome’s oldest churches.Bruno Valentinetti, the 83-year-old artist who restored the painting, covered up the controversial image overnight, leaving the cherub temporarily without a face.The winged figure in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina now appears headless after a hasty application of paint or plaster removed the Prime Minister’s features.Mr Valentinetti told La Repubblica that he had been instructed by the Vatican to remove the likeness, though a spokesman for the Holy See declined to comment on the matter.
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The original artwork dates back to 2000, when the chapel was renovated to include a monument to Umberto II, Italy’s final monarch who ruled for a mere 34 days.The composition featured two angels watching over the king, with one cherub depicted holding a scroll showing a map of Italy while appearing to kneel before the royal bust.Water damage that began in 2023 necessitated restoration work on the Basilica.Mr Valentinetti, who serves as the church’s custodian and created the original piece, was tasked with repairing the deteriorated images.When the restored fresco emerged, the winged female figure had acquired facial features unmistakably resembling the prime minister.La Repubblica first spotted the likeness on Saturday, publishing the image on its front page and sparking immediate controversy.Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Pope’s vicar for Rome, expressed “bitterness” over the incident and insisted that political figures have no place in sacred art.”Images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited,” the cardinal declared, ordering an investigation into the matter.LATEST NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLDBritish and allied war graves bulldozed in Gaza cemetery during war with IsraelWorld enters grim new nuclear era after historic US-Russia atomic weapons treaty expiresFrance ‘sinking to third-world status’ after devastating new figures emergeThe Italian Culture Ministry, led by Alessandro Giuli, launched its own inquiry, with senior heritage official Daniela Porro inspecting the church on Saturday.The basilica’s priest, Rev Daniele Micheletti, said the crowds drawn by the controversial image had become unacceptable.”There was a procession of people who came to see it and take selfies, not to pray,” he told local reporters. He added that he had always maintained the image would be removed if it proved divisive.Ms Meloni responded to the painting, posting a photograph of the disputed fresco on Instagram accompanied by the caption: “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” along with a laughing emoji.Mr Valentinetti initially denied any intentional resemblance, suggesting the likeness existed only in observers’ imaginations.”You think there is a resemblance? Well, that’s up to you,” he said, adding that he had not voted for years regardless of which party held power.Days later, however, he admitted the angel did indeed bear the Italian Prime Minister’s features.The Culture Ministry has now established strict protocols for any future restoration: the basilica must obtain prior authorisation from the government, the diocese, and the ministry’s special superintendency for Rome, with any application accompanied by a sketch of the proposed image.
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