The representation of an angel in a church in central Rome has been restored to resemble Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the Italian press reported on Saturday. The Ministry of Culture has opened an investigation, and Meloni found the situation amusing, Reuters reported.
In an article published on the front page, the newspaper La Repubblica was the first to notice that one of the two angels in a chapel at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina had been altered to resemble the 49-year-old leader, Italy’s first female prime minister.
The article was accompanied by images of the painting before and after restoration. The angel previously looked like a "generic cherub," the newspaper wrote.
The Ministry of Culture announced that it has instructed the highest official in the field of artistic heritage in Rome to carry out an inspection of the restored painting on the same day before "deciding what further measures to take."
The opposition movement Movimento 5 Stelle complained: "We cannot allow art and culture to become a tool of propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the depicted face is that of the prime minister."
Meloni reacted by posting a photo of the painting on social media, with the message "No, I definitely don't look like an angel," accompanied by a laughing emoji.
Priest Daniele Micheletti told the ANSA news agency that the decorations in the chapel were recently touched up due to water damage. The originals date back only to the year 2000, so they were not protected as cultural heritage.
The restoration was carried out by the same artist who created the original painting, Bruno Valentinetti. He disputed the suggestion that he had altered the image, telling reporters: "I restored what was there before... 25 years ago."