In one of the oldest churches in Rome, Italy’s right appears Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Now being seen as an angel with wings – that causes great debate. The case is now even concerning Pope Leo XIV, who is also Bishop of Rome. Behind this is obviously a Meloni admirer who gave an angel the face of the head of government when restoring a fresco in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina. Meloni herself responded with a smiley.
The Catholic church, whose roots go back to the fifth century, is located right in the historic center of Rome. It is also known because there is a marble bust of the last Italian king, Umberto II, who went into exile after the end of the Second World War in 1946. There are two angels painted above it, nothing particularly noticeable about them before the restoration.
An angel with a map of Italy
Now, however, one of them resembles the Prime Minister from the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, which has ruled Italy continuously for more than three years – longer than almost all other heads of government after the Second World War. The “Meloni Angel” holds a scroll with the outline of Italy in his hand. The other angel – still ordinary – hands the crown to the disgraced ruler. According to media reports, the fresco is not particularly old, but dates from the year 2000.
The matter initially didn’t attract much attention – until the newspaper The Republic she made public on Saturday. A Roman who works as a volunteer for the church and has artistic ambitions quickly came under suspicion as the author. The man named Bruno Valentinetti also eventually admitted to restoring the fresco. However, in response to questions from reporters, he replied: “Who says it is Prime Minister Meloni?”
Meloni: “I certainly don’t look like an angel”
Meloni herself, who clearly leads the field of Italian politicians in all polls, posted a photo of the angel on her Instagram page. The 49-year-old wrote with a laughing smiley: “No, I certainly don’t look like an angel.” Protests came from the left-wing opposition that there was no longer any respect for art and the church. In the cafés of the Italian capital, many people were amused by the idea over the weekend. Others expressed outrage.
The case is now even concerning the Vatican because Pope Leo, as head of the Catholic Church, is also Bishop of Rome. There, the angel’s arbitrary transformation caused resentment. The vicar general of the diocese, Cardinal Baldo Reina, emphasized that “images of sacred art and Christian tradition” should not be exploited for other purposes. Now consideration is being given to whether the fresco should be redesigned again.
Newspaper: Painter also worked for Berlusconi
According to information from Republic Valentinetti was previously involved in interior work in San Lorenzo. Politically he is located in the right-wing camp. It is also said to have come from the now deceased right-wing populist head of government Silvio Berlusconi to have been employed for renovation work in a villa. (dpa)