Angel Fresco Resembling Italy’s PM Removed From Rome Church
Rome, Italy – A fresco in a historic Rome church that depicted an angel bearing a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been altered, with the face of the angel removed. The change occurred overnight, leaving the cherub headless, and brings an end to a controversy that reportedly embarrassed the Vatican.
The altered painting is located in a chapel of the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina, in central Rome. The likeness first came to light on Saturday, February 1, 2026, when it was reported by La Repubblica. Bruno Valentinetti, the amateur artist who restored the fresco, confessed to intentionally painting the angel in Meloni’s likeness, stating, “Yes, it’s the prime minister’s face,” but also noting it was “similar to the previous painting.”
Valentinetti told La Repubblica he was asked by the Vatican to remove the likeness. A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The painting itself was originally completed in 2000 and is not subject to any heritage regulations.
The incident prompted investigations by both Italy’s culture ministry and the diocese of Rome. Cardinal Baldo Reina, the diocese’s vicar general, expressed “bitterness” over the incident, stating that “Images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited.”
Daniele Micheletti, the basilica’s parish priest, acknowledged “a certain resemblance” to Meloni but said he had instructed Valentinetti to restore the painting, which had suffered water damage, to its original state. He also noted that the controversy had drawn a large number of visitors to the church, many of whom were more interested in viewing the painting than in prayer or religious services. “There was a procession of people that came to see it instead of listening to mass or praying,” Micheletti said. “It wasn’t acceptable.”
The controversy also drew reaction from Italian politicians. Members of the Five Star Movement released a statement saying that art and culture should not be used as “a tool for propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the face depicted is that of the prime minister.”
Prime Minister Meloni herself responded to the situation with a post on her Instagram account, sharing an image of the fresco and writing, “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
Italy’s cultural minister, Alessandro Giuli, ordered an investigation to determine whether Valentinetti intentionally added Meloni’s face to the fresco. The Superintendency of Rome was instructed by the Ministry of Culture to begin archival research to identify documentation related to the original painting.
