In brief
A church fresco in Rome that controversially resembled Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has had its face removed by the artist after an official investigation was launched. The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, initially denied the resemblance but later admitted it was based on Meloni's likeness. Following this, church officials expressed their disappointment and announced plans for the original features to be restored.
The face of an angel on a restored church fresco in Rome that sparked outrage due to its likeness to Italy's prime minister, has been crudely scrubbed out by the artist who painted it.
Church and government officials launched an investigation after pictures of a cherub at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina showed her newly restored face had an uncanny likeness to right-wing leader, Giorgia Meloni.
The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, initially denied the claims but admitted this week that it was indeed the prime minister's face, insisting that it was similar to the original.
Valentinetti, 83, reported being ordered to cover up the painting by the Vatican.
The office of the Diocese of Rome announced plans to restore the original facial features following a statement from Cardinal Baldassare Reina expressing disappointment over the incident.
The Basilica of St Lawrence, located just a five-minute walk from Meloni's office, has attracted many curious visitors wishing to see the infamous fresco, with the basilica's priest noting a surge of people coming to take pictures instead of praying.
Despite not initially noticing the resemblance to Meloni, Rev. Daniele Michelett acknowledged that the image did not conform to the original sacred context.
While the original fresco had been painted in 2000 and was not heritage protected, the restoration work will now require proper authorization.
