ROME — A controversial artistic depiction that transformed a celestial cherub into the visage of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has been abruptly removed from Rome’s historic Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, concluding a week of intense public scrutiny and institutional investigations.
The altered fresco, created during chapel renovations in 2000, suddenly gained notoriety when La Repubblica newspaper featured the Meloni-esque angel on its front page last Saturday. The image showed a traditionally rendered cherub body supporting a face unmistakably resembling Italy’s conservative leader, kneeling before a bust of Italy’s last king, Umberto II.
Church authorities intervened decisively on Tuesday night, instructing the original restorer Bruno Valentinetti to obscure the political portrait. By Wednesday morning, visitors discovered the angel’s face had been crudely covered with a layer of paint or plaster, leaving the cherub’s body intact but faceless.
The Diocese of Rome and Italy’s Culture Ministry had simultaneously launched formal inquiries into the matter. While the work itself didn’t constitute damage to historic patrimony—dating only from 2000—Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar for Rome, emphasized that political figures have no place in sacred art.
The temporary alteration transformed the ancient basilica into an unlikely tourist attraction, with crowds sometimes disrupting religious services to photograph the unusual artwork. Premier Meloni herself responded with humor on social media, posting the image with a laughing/crying emoji and the caption: “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel.”
Investigations continue to determine the cherub’s original appearance for proper restoration, ensuring the sacred space maintains its artistic integrity free from political associations.