TL:DR – “Outrage in Italy: Church Mural of Angel Resembles Giorgia Meloni”
- A fresco in Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, resembles Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, sparking controversy.
- The artwork, restored after water damage, originally depicted cherubs but now features an angel resembling Meloni.
- Critics, including opposition politicians, demand an inquiry, claiming the restoration may serve political propaganda.
- Meloni dismissed the backlash, jokingly stating, “I’m definitely not like an angel.”
- Authorities plan to investigate potential changes made during restoration, ensuring cultural integrity.
Church painting of angel resembling Georgia Meloni sparks outrage in Italy | News World
The striking resemblance has sparked backlash from opposition politicians (Picture: Shutterstock)
### Political Leaders as Angels: A Rare Sight
It is not often political leaders are portrayed as angels – usually quite the opposite. That’s maybe why an almighty row has broken out in Italy over a church fresco that looks suspiciously like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
### A Controversial Fresco in Rome
A painting in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, was spotted with the striking resemblance after undergoing repairs. The artwork portrays Umberto II, who reigned as Italy’s final king for just 34 days, and is meant to feature two cherub-like angels watching over him.
The Meloni-like angel is seen holding a map of Italy (Picture: Stefano Carofei/Sintesi/SIPA/Shutterstock)
### Restoration Denial
WTX News reported that the newspaper La Repubblica, who first reported on the angel, said: ‘Before the restoration, there was a generic cherub. Today, it is the face of the most powerful woman in the country.’ The volunteer restorer who freshened up the fresco denied depicting Meloni and said he was just restoring ‘what was there 25 years ago’. Bruno Valentinetti said: ‘They asked me to fix it and I did. I worked on it for two years and finished the work a year ago.’ He stressed ‘it’s not Meloni’ and described how he ‘traced’ the outline of ‘original design’ and ‘put the colour back in’.
### Church’s Perspective on the Restoration
The church’s rector, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti, said he had asked for the chapel to be restored exactly as it was. He expressed his thoughts on the resemblance: ‘There is indeed a certain resemblance, but we should ask the restorer why he did it that way; I don’t know.’ Father Micheletti mentioned that the restoration was necessary due to water damage and that it dated back to 2000, so it was not under heritage protection.
### Political Backlash and Investigation
However, Italian authorities have launched an investigation into what happened, and members of the opposition have even called for an inquiry. One opposition lawmaker, Irene Manzi, called the touch-up ‘unacceptable’. The Five Star Movement party stated: ‘We cannot allow art and culture to risk becoming a tool for propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the face depicted is that of the prime minister.’
### Meloni’s Reaction to the Controversy
Meloni herself has laughed off the controversy, posting a picture of the fresco on Instagram and commenting: ‘No, I’m definitely not like an angel.’
Meloni laughed off the controversy (Picture: Vincenzo Nuzzolese/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
### Cultural Heritage Oversight
Italy’s authorities for protecting cultural heritage, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio, stated they will be inspecting the restoration. They added: ‘We will compare it with archive materials to determine not so much who the restoration resembles, but whether any changes have been made, because the restorer would have had to follow the original lines.’