US EditionItaly investigates church painting of angel restored to look like Meloni
Two investigations were launched after restoration revealed an angel resembling Prime Minister Meloni, sparking debate over politicization in sacred art at a historic Roman basilica.
- On Jan 31 a restored fresco angel in Rome's Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina drew attention for resembling Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni above Umberto II's bust.
- Because the original 2000 fresco was not heritage-protected, water infiltrations prompted restoration, which involved reproducing existing elements, according to restorer Valentinetti.
- On Sunday and Monday the basilica was crowded with visitors photographing the angel, at times disrupting Mass, while Daniele Micheletti said `There is indeed a certain resemblance` and defended the sacristan who carried out the work.
- After opposition complaints, Italy's culture minister ordered an inspection on Jan 31, and the Diocese's vicar general said investigations would establish responsibility.
- Observers said the likeness fed debates about monarchy, nationalism and the prime minister's party roots, as the cherub kneels before Umberto II holding Italy's outline, boosting the basilica's profile.
282 Articles
282 Articles
Rome Church Restoration Under Fire For Giving Angel The Face Of Giorgia Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Credit: Governo italiano / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 IT Italian authorities have launched an investigation after a restored angel painting inside a historic Rome church drew attention for bearing a strong resemblance to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The restored cherub, part of a fresco in the Chapel of the Holy Souls in Purgatory at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, has sparked national debate a…
Church and government officials in Italy have launched an investigation into claims that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's face was painted onto an angel during the restoration of a fresco in Rome. Italy's Culture Ministry has sent officers to inspect the artwork in a shrine at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, while the Diocese of Rome expressed its "disappointment" and said it would determine who was responsible. The artist, Bruno Valentin…
Italian Church Investigates As Reconstructed Angel Painting Resembles Meloni
A cherub in a Roman church bears a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, sparking a scandal. Italian newspapers published the photographs of the Meloni-esque cherub, which drew harsh reactions from the public.
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The Daily BeastPope Orders Trump Ally’s Face Removed From Restored Church Fresco
The Roman diocese headed by Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV has ordered a church in Rome to fix a fresco of an angel that was updated to bear a suspicious resemblance to one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Europe. An Italian newspaper noticed over the weekend that a newly restored fresco at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in downtown Rome suddenly featured an angel whose face looked a lot like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader …
Italian authorities opened an investigation into a painting in a church in Rome after complaints arose that a newly restored angel had a striking resemblance to the country's leader, Giorgia Meloni.
The artist who restored the fresco created in 2000 denies that he changed it in any way or that Meloni was his inspiration.
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