The Vatican stepped in to end an intense public controversy surrounding an angel mural in a church whose face strongly resembles Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The issue dominated Italian headlines in recent days and concerns recent restoration work on a mural in the historic Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in central Rome.
According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the Vicariate of Rome instructed that the mural be modified to remove any resemblance to Meloni, in an effort to put an end to the uproar. The decision followed a phone call between the parish priest of the basilica and officials from the Vicariate, amid concerns about preserving the sanctity of religious spaces.
The Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, Baldassare Reina, stressed that sacred art exists solely for “liturgical life and prayer” and cannot be “distorted or exploited” for contemporary political purposes.
Nei lavori di restauro della basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina, a Roma, in un affresco sopra il busto in marmo di Umberto II di Savoia il volto generico di un cherubino è stato sostituito con un angelo che ha le sembianze della presidente del Consiglio Giorgia Meloni pic.twitter.com/oSOIpoxJwe
— Repubblica (@repubblica) January 31, 2026
“It was not intentional,” says the volunteer who restored the mural
Eighty-year-old volunteer decorator and sacristan Bruno Valentinetti carried out the restoration of the controversial angel. The mural depicts two angels flanking a marble bust of Italy’s last king, Umberto II of Savoy. Valentinetti, who reportedly worked in the past on properties owned by late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, initially claimed that any resemblance to Meloni was unintentional.
“I was simply restoring what I had painted 25 years ago,” he told reporters. Critics, however, pointed out that the original 2000 version showed a “generic cherub,” unlike the current figure, which bears a striking resemblance to the Italian prime minister.
In a television interview broadcast on Monday, Valentinetti adopted a more humorous tone, saying that “Meloni appeared to me in a dream, dressed in white,” and told him: “Bruno, paint the angel in my likeness.”
Opposition denounces “covert propaganda”
Italy’s Ministry of Culture sent experts to the site to assess whether the artwork violates rules protecting historical monuments, as opposition parties labeled the mural “covert propaganda.” They highlighted the historical irony of an angel honoring a king while bearing the features of today’s right-wing prime minister.
At the same time, the so-called “Meloni Angel” turned into a tourist attraction, with crowds flocking to the 5th-century basilica to photograph the mural. According to Italian media, the task of removing the Meloni-like features will, ironically, fall once again to Valentinetti himself, under strict supervision, so that the angel can return to an anonymous, “heavenly” appearance.
For her part, Giorgia Meloni handled the affair with humor, posting a photo of the mural on social media with the caption: “No, I certainly don’t look like an angel.”
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