US EditionItaly Launches Investigation as Newly-Restored Angel Painting in Rome Church Now Resembles Giorgia Meloni
The restoration of a 2000 fresco cherub in Rome’s Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina sparked an investigation amid claims it resembles Prime Minister Meloni, raising cultural and legal concerns.
- At the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, officials opened an investigation on Monday after complaints that a restored cherub resembled Prime Minister Meloni.
- After the December restoration, side-by-side images on social media highlighted the likeness, sparking complaints, while the 2000 decoration is a contemporary, unprotected work requiring institutional agreement for changes.
- Critics and church officials flagged procedural flaws after Bruno Valentinetti, the restorer, denied intentionally making the cherub resemble Meloni, saying he copied the original drawing and volunteered.
- The Special Superintendency of Rome has started archival research, and the Vicariate pledged to investigate with the parish priest, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti.
- The Diocese of Rome emphasized heritage safeguards, opposition parties highlighted the basilica's historic status, and visitors dubbed the site the 'Meloni Chapel' amid online commentary.
26 Articles
26 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.
Pope 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 …
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nin.rsThe artist who restored the fresco created in 2000 denies that he changed it in any way or that Meloni was his inspiration.
Italy launches investigation as newly-restored angel painting in Rome church now resembles Giorgia Meloni
By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Rome, Italy (CNN) — A painting in a Rome church has prompted an investigation following complaints that a newly-restored cherub bears a remarkable likeness to the nation’s leader, Giorgia Meloni. The controversy surrounds restoration works carried out on a painting in the Chapel of the Holy Souls in Purgatory in the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, central Rome. Although the work was completed in December, side-by-…
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