A restored church fresco in the heart of Rome has sparked international controversy after an angel’s face appeared to closely resemble Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a prominent European ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The artwork is located inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, a historic 13th-century church in central Rome that recently underwent restoration work following water damage. After before-and-after images of the fresco were published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica, observers quickly noticed that one of the cherubs bore an uncanny likeness to Meloni, who leads Italy’s national-conservative Brothers of Italy party.
The images soon went viral, drawing global attention and prompting scrutiny from church authorities. Officials overseeing the Diocese of Rome, which is headed by Pope Leo XIV in his role as Bishop of Rome, confirmed that the fresco would need to be altered.
In a firm statement reported by Italian news agency ANSA, the Diocese of Rome said it would immediately launch investigations into the restoration, emphasizing that sacred imagery should not be exploited for political purposes. Church officials reiterated that religious art exists solely to support liturgical life, prayer, and spiritual reflection.
The fresco was restored by artist Bruno Valentinetti, who painted the original version of the work back in 2000. Valentinetti denied intentionally modeling the angel after Meloni, insisting that he merely traced the features of the original painting. “This angel is not Giorgia Meloni,” he told La Repubblica, adding that any resemblance was being imagined by viewers.
Initially, the church’s parish priest, Daniele Micheletti, defended the artwork and questioned the backlash. He told La Repubblica that depicting a political figure did not necessarily signal political support, noting that other historical figures appear in the church’s artwork as well. “The face of King Umberto II is also there,” he said. “Does that mean we’re monarchists?”
Despite those defenses, technical officials from the Rome Vicariate — the administrative body managing the Diocese of Rome on the Pope’s behalf — contacted the parish and made it clear the image would need to be modified. Following discussions with diocesan technicians, Micheletti agreed that changes would be made to restore the angel to a more neutral appearance.
Church archivists are now searching for documentation of the fresco’s original version to guide the revisions. Parish officials say they hope to resolve the issue quickly without further controversy.
While Pope Leo XIV is Bishop of Rome, there has been no indication that he personally ordered the alteration. Diocesan officials appear to be handling the matter internally.
Even Meloni herself reacted lightly to the situation, joking on social media that she “definitely doesn’t look like an angel,” accompanied by a laughing emoji. But for church authorities, the issue was no laughing matter.
As Micheletti put it, the goal now is simple: “We can’t get stuck on the face of an angel.”
