A detail of a fresco portraying an angel allegedly resembling the Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is seen in San Lorenzo in Lucina Basilica in Rome, Italy, on January 31, 2026. The Vicariate of Rome stated in a note that it will open an investigation into the recent restoration of the fresco, whose resemblance to Meloni, reported today by several newspapers, has caused a stir and led numerous visitors to see for themselves, taking photos of the detail of the fresco in the Chapel of the Crucifix, dedicated to King Umberto II of Savoy, at the end of the right aisle of the Roman church, as well as sparking a wave of social media irony that even the Prime Minister herself did not hold away back, saying in a post accompanied by a laughing emoji that she definitely does not look like an angel, while the restorer Bruno Valentinetti denies any resemblance between the angel’s face and Meloni.
ISTANBUL
An angel figure resembling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been removed from a fresco in a Rome church following objections from Vatican authorities.
The fresco, located in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, one of Rome’s oldest churches, was restored last year by artist Bruno Valentinetti.
The resemblance was reported by Italian media earlier this month, prompting an inquiry by the Diocese of Rome and the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Valentinetti later acknowledged that the image was inspired by Meloni.
Church officials said the depiction did not conform to the original iconography or the sacred nature of the site, and the artist painted over the face at the request of Vatican authorities.
“Images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited,” said Rome's Cardinal Baldassare Reina in a statement.
The original facial features of the figure will be restored, according to the office of the Diocese of Rome.
The Ministry of Culture also stressed that any restoration work in the church requires prior authorization from relevant institutions.
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