Giorgia Meloni’s face removed from Rome fresco after complaints

A fresco in Rome’s Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina that included an angel resembling Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni was altered after Vatican officials complained, with the face painted over in early February 2026. Artist Bruno Valentinetti said he had restored a fresco he originally painted in 2000 during work prompted by water damage, and after initially denying the likeness, told La Repubblica on 5 February, “Okay, it was Meloni,” while claiming it followed an earlier image. The Italian Ministry of Culture and the Diocese of Rome opened an inquiry, and the Vicariate of Rome said the depiction did not conform to the original iconography and sacred context; the ministry also warned on 4 February that further restoration requires formal authorizations and a sketch. Meloni responded on Instagram that she was “definitely not like an angel.”

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