The face of an angel on a restored church fresco in Rome that sparked outrage because of its likeness to Italy's prime minister, has been crudely scrubbed out by the artist who painted it.
Church and government officials launched an investigation after pictures of a cherub at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina showed her newly restored face had an uncanny likeness to right-wing leader, Giorgia Meloni.
The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, at first denied the claims, but on Wednesday he admitted that it was indeed the prime minister's face. He insisted that it was similar to the original, however.
Valentinetti, 83, told la Repubblica that he was ordered to cover up the painting by the Vatican. The original facial features will now be restored, according to the office of the Diocese of Rome, following a strongly worded statement from Rome's Cardinal Baldassare Reina.
Expressing his disappointment over what happened, Reina said images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited.
The Basilica of St Lawrence, which is a five minute walk from Meloni's office in the heart of Rome, has seen an influx of curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the now-infamous fresco.
There was a procession of people who came to see it and take selfies, not to pray, the basilica's priest, Rev. Daniele Michelett, told Ansa news agency.
Michelett said he had not noticed the resemblance to the prime minister when he first saw the restoration work, but agreed that it did not conform to the original iconography and sacred context of the church.
The fresco at the center of this controversy was painted in 2000 and was not heritage protected. It is located in a chapel dedicated to Italy's last king, Umberto II, and illustrates the cherub holding a map of Italy.
The government agency responsible for the preservation of Rome's cultural sites has now stipulated that any further restoration work will require authorization and a sketch of the proposed image. The Vatican has been contacted for comment.
Church and government officials launched an investigation after pictures of a cherub at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina showed her newly restored face had an uncanny likeness to right-wing leader, Giorgia Meloni.
The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, at first denied the claims, but on Wednesday he admitted that it was indeed the prime minister's face. He insisted that it was similar to the original, however.
Valentinetti, 83, told la Repubblica that he was ordered to cover up the painting by the Vatican. The original facial features will now be restored, according to the office of the Diocese of Rome, following a strongly worded statement from Rome's Cardinal Baldassare Reina.
Expressing his disappointment over what happened, Reina said images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited.
The Basilica of St Lawrence, which is a five minute walk from Meloni's office in the heart of Rome, has seen an influx of curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the now-infamous fresco.
There was a procession of people who came to see it and take selfies, not to pray, the basilica's priest, Rev. Daniele Michelett, told Ansa news agency.
Michelett said he had not noticed the resemblance to the prime minister when he first saw the restoration work, but agreed that it did not conform to the original iconography and sacred context of the church.
The fresco at the center of this controversy was painted in 2000 and was not heritage protected. It is located in a chapel dedicated to Italy's last king, Umberto II, and illustrates the cherub holding a map of Italy.
The government agency responsible for the preservation of Rome's cultural sites has now stipulated that any further restoration work will require authorization and a sketch of the proposed image. The Vatican has been contacted for comment.
