Rome, Italy. A restored angel painting in a church in central Rome has been reported to resemble Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, prompting an investigation by the culture ministry. Meloni dismissed the matter in a social media post.
Report and images
La Repubblica reported on Saturday that one of two angels in a chapel of the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina had been altered to resemble the 49-year-old conservative, Italy’s first female prime minister. The newspaper published before-and-after images, saying the angel had previously looked like a “generic cherub”.
Culture ministry response
The culture ministry said it instructed Rome’s top art heritage official to conduct a same-day inspection of the restored painting before “deciding what to do next”.
Opposition reaction
The opposition Five Star Movement said it could not allow art and culture to risk becoming a tool for propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the face depicted was that of the prime minister.
Parish and artist statements
Parish priest Daniele Micheletti told Ansa news agency that chapel decorations had been touched up after water damage. He said the originals dated to 2000 and were not under heritage protection. The restoration was carried out by the original artist, Bruno Valentinetti, who disputed that he altered the image and said, “I restored what was there before… 25 years ago”.
Meloni’s response
Meloni posted a picture of the painting on Instagram with the caption, “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
What do you think should guide decisions on restoring recent religious artworks in public churches?