The restored fresco in an ancient church in Rome sparked controversy after one of the angels depicted in the restoration bore a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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The recent restoration of a fresco in an ancient baroque church in central Rome, just a short distance from the Spanish consulate and the Italian Parliament, has sparked an unexpected controversy after one of the angels depicted in the restoration bore a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The figure in question holds a scroll with a map of Italy and is one of a pair of angels flanking the marble bust of Umberto II, the last king of Italy, who reigned briefly in 1946. The funerary monument includes the inscription “Acting like a Christian, resigned to the divine will.”
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The fresco is located in a side chapel of St. Lawrence Basilica in the Lucina area of Rome, which was built in the fourth century. In recent days, the cherub with features similar to those of Meloni became the focus of unexpected attention from numerous visitors, many of whom came out of curiosity rather than for religious reasons.
