Restorer Bruno Valentinetti admitted on Wednesday (4) that he painted the face of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in a figure of an angel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in Rome.
In an interview with the newspaper La Repubblica, Valentinetti stated that the painting is similar to the previous version of the work. The artist revealed that the inclusion of the Prime Minister's features... It was a request from the Vatican..
The Prime Minister's face has already been erased and the site will undergo a new restoration process. The decision was made last Tuesday (3), during a meeting between Cardinal Baldo Reina and Archbishop Micheletti at the basilica.
The Diocese of Rome and the Italian Ministry of Culture have launched separate investigations into the incident. The case attracted a large number of visitors to the site and generated widespread media coverage in Italy.
According to the newspaper La Repubblica, the original image was a "generic cherub" before Valentinetti's intervention. The painting is located in a side chapel, near the main altar of the church.
A Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina It is one of the oldest in Rome. The increased flow of tourists after the controversy caused overcrowding and even interrupted the celebration of masses at the site.
In a publication on social media, Giorgia Meloni She commented on the matter with good humor. "No, I definitely don't look like an angel," the prime minister wrote when sharing the image of the painting.
The Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, declared himself disappointed by what had happened. He stated that images of sacred art cannot be misused or exploited for purposes other than prayer and liturgy.
