In one of the churches in central Rome, after restoration an angel came to resemble Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
This was reported by la Repubblica.
In its article, the newspaper noted that the appearance of one of the two angels in the chapel of San Lorenzo in Lucina was altered and now resembles Meloni, the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Italy.
The Ministry of Culture said it had instructed Rome’s chief inspector for the protection of artistic heritage to carry out an inspection of the restored painting the same day before any further decisions are taken.
The opposition Five Star Movement expressed its dissatisfaction.
“We cannot allow art and culture to risk turning into an instrument of propaganda or anything else, regardless of whose face is depicted there, even if it is the face of the prime minister,” the party stressed.
Parish priest Daniele Micheletti told the ANSA news agency that the chapel had recently been restored after water damage.
The original paintings date only to the year 2000 and therefore are not protected as cultural heritage objects.
The restoration was carried out by the same artist who created the original painting, Bruno Valentinetti. He denied that he had altered the image, telling journalists, “I restored what was there before… 25 years ago.”
An official position then followed from the vicariate of the Catholic Church, which announced an immediate investigation.
“His Holiness’s Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina distances himself from the statements of Monsignor Micheletti and expresses his indignation over what occurred. He will immediately begin the necessary investigations to verify any possible responsibility of those involved. Reaffirming the commitment of the Diocese of Rome to preserving its artistic and spiritual heritage, it firmly states that images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be subject to improper use or instrumentalization,” the vicariate said.
Meloni herself posted a photo of the fresco on Instagram with the caption, “No, I definitely do not look like an angel,” and added a laughing emoji.
