A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome depicting a cherub that bore a striking resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shows signs of alteration after the face was removed, Wednesday, February 4, 2026. CECILIA FABIANO / AP
An artist who restored a fresco in a church in central Rome featuring a likeness of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has wiped out his own artwork after it sparked outrage. The story began on Saturday when La Repubblica reported that the face of a freshly restored winged figure in the San Lorenzo in Lucina church closely resembled Meloni.
Meloni herself left a bemused comment on Instagram next to her supposed likeness, saying: "No, decidedly I do not resemble an angel." The artist behind the restoration, Bruno Valentinetti, told La Repubblica that he rubbed out her face on Tuesday, February 4, following a request by the Vatican administration.
The restorer also told the paper that he had indeed painted the figure to resemble Meloni after initially denying it. "Well, it really was Meloni but in the same style of the fresco that was there before," he told La Repubblica.
A combination image shows the apparent likeness of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on a restored angel fresco on January 31, 2026 (top), and the angel fresco painting covered, after sparking political and clerical controversy (bottom), inside the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, Rome, Italy, February 4, 2026. STAFF / REUTERS
