An angel with the features of Giorgia Meloni. Or rather, a Nike, a winged Victory as in the iconography of monarchical Italy, a modern-day Athena holding the effigy of Italy, the classic Italian boot. In just a few hours, the fresco in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in the heart of Rome, long linked to the world of monarchists and right-wing circles in the capital, has become a sensation, and it looks as if it were inspired by the prime minister's face.
An "apparition" in the chapel at the back right, the one with the tombstone (but not the body) of King Umberto II: it was the parish priest Don Pietro Pintus who in 1985 wanted to dedicate a monument to the last king of Italy, with a white marble bust and tombstone. Twenty-five years ago, the painter and restorer Bruno Valentinetti intervened: a cherub with a Savoy crown and another with a map of Italy, both leaning over the king's bust, with a Savoy coat of arms above. Finally, the restoration work was carried out in 2023 after some leaks.
And it's the second angel to take on the guise of Meloni: the revelation by the newspaper Repubblica brought the Vicariate responsible for Roman churches to its feet early this morning. After initial surprise and embarrassment, the Diocese of Rome took the situation firmly in hand, launching an investigation and writing specific words: "Regarding the restoration of the pictorial decoration of the chapel of the Crucifix in the church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, it is clarified," it wrote, "that both the Superintendency and the owner, as well as the Office for Religious Buildings of the Vicariate of Rome, were aware since 2023 of a restoration project 'without modifying or adding anything' to the recently painted fresco in question (dating back to 2000); therefore, the alteration to the cherub's face was the decorator's initiative, not communicated to the competent authorities ."
In short, the restorer (who is also the sacristan) intervened on his own restoration dating back 25 years. "The Vicariate," the statement adds, "has committed to examining the matter further with the parish priest, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti, and to evaluating possible initiatives." That evening, Cardinal Baldo Reina, the Pope's Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, intervened to quell any controversy, issuing a stern warning against "exploiting sacred art. Images of sacred art and the Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited, as they are intended exclusively to support liturgical life and personal and community prayer."
The case quickly exploded on social media, so much so that the Prime Minister herself even chimed in, quipping, "No, I definitely don't look like an angel."
The Democratic Party, however, has risen up. "We demand that Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli immediately contact the Rome Superintendency; what has emerged is unacceptable. The suggestion that restoration work on a protected property could have produced an image attributable to a contemporary face represents a potential and serious violation of the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code, which prohibits arbitrary alterations, customizations, and interventions not strictly based on scientific and historical-artistic criteria," noted Irene Manzi, leader of the Democratic Party group in the Chamber of Deputies' Culture Committee.
Meanwhile, the Roman church, frequented by First Republic figures and politicians such as Giulio Andreotti, was a hive of curious onlookers all day, while the Ministry of Culture also arranged an inspection . Parish priest Monsignor Micheletti, who is also the rector of the Pantheon, where Vittorio Emanuele II, King Umberto I, and Queen Margherita, the most prominent (and beloved) members of the House of Savoy, are buried, attempted to defuse the embarrassment. According to reports, the restoration's master, the sacristan-restorer, is an old acquaintance of the MSI (Italian Socialist Party). "But he's never been in the FdI," a parliamentarian from Giorgia Meloni's party was quick to point out.
(Unioneonline/D)