Church officials in Rome move to address "Meloni angel" scandal as crowds flock to see fresco.The Vatican has intervened in the controversy surrounding a restored fresco of an angel whose face bears an uncanny resemblance to Italian premier Giorgia Meloni.The row, which has dominated news headlines in Italy over the weekend, centres on a recent restoration of a fresco at the historic Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in the city centre. The Vicariate of Rome has moved to end the scandal, ordering that the fresco be modified to remove the likeness to Meloni, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday. The decision came following a telephone consultation between the basilica's rector Monsignor Daniele Micheletti and Vicariate officials, amid concerns over the sanctity of religious spaces. Baldassare Reina, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, emphasised that sacred art is intended strictly for "liturgical life and prayer" and cannot be "misused or exploited" for contemporary political purposes.   Bruno Valentinetti, an 80-year-old volunteer decorator and sacristan, caried out the restoration of the angel, one of two flanking a marble bust of Italy's last king, Umberto II of Savoy. Valentinetti, who has reportedly worked on properties for Italy's late prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, initially claimed the resemblance was unintentional. "I was just restoring what I painted 25 years ago," he told reporters, though critics noted that the original 2000 version depicted a "generic cherub" rather than a figure that now bears a striking likeness to Meloni. However in a TV interview aired on Monday, Valentinetti joked that "Meloni appeared to me in a dream, dressed in white"... "She said to me, 'Bruno, paint the angel in my image'". The Italian culture ministry dispatched heritage experts to the site to determine if the work violated codes protecting historical buildings, as opposition parties criticised the fresco as "hidden propaganda," citing the historical irony of an angel honouring a king while resembling Italy's right-wing prime minister. Meanwhile the "Meloni Angel" became an overnight sensation in Rome, with crowds flocking to the fifth-century church to snap photos. Ironically, the task of removing the Meloni-like features will likely fall back to Valentinetti himself - according to Italian news reports - under strict supervision to ensure the angel returns to its anonymous, heavenly form. For her part, Meloni laughed off the controversy on social media, posting a photo of the angel with the caption: "No, I definitely don't look like an angel."

The Vatican has intervened in the controversy surrounding a restored fresco of an angel whose face bears an uncanny resemblance to Italian premier Giorgia Meloni. The row, which has , centres on a recent restoration of a fresco at the historic Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in the city centre. The Vicariate of Rome has moved to end the scandal, ordering that the fresco be modified to remove the likeness to Meloni, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday. The decision came following a telephone consultation between the basilica's rector Monsignor Daniele Micheletti and Vicariate officials, amid concerns over the sanctity of religious spaces. Baldassare Reina, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, emphasised that sacred art is intended strictly for "liturgical life and prayer" and cannot be "misused or exploited" for contemporary political purposes.   Bruno Valentinetti, an 80-year-old volunteer decorator and sacristan, caried out the restoration of the angel, one of two flanking a marble bust of Italy's last king, Umberto II of Savoy. Valentinetti, who has reportedly worked on properties for Italy's late prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, initially claimed the resemblance was unintentional. "I was just restoring what I painted 25 years ago," he told reporters, though critics noted that the original 2000 version depicted a "generic cherub" rather than a figure that now bears a striking likeness to Meloni. However in a TV interview aired on Monday, Valentinetti joked that "Meloni appeared to me in a dream, dressed in white"... "She said to me, 'Bruno, paint the angel in my image'". The Italian culture ministry dispatched heritage experts to the site to determine if the work violated codes protecting historical buildings, as opposition parties criticised the fresco as "hidden propaganda," citing the historical irony of an angel honouring a king while resembling Italy's right-wing prime minister. Meanwhile the "Meloni Angel" became an overnight sensation in Rome, with crowds flocking to the fifth-century church to snap photos. Ironically, the task of removing the Meloni-like features will likely fall back to Valentinetti himself - according to Italian news reports - under strict supervision to ensure the angel returns to its anonymous, heavenly form. For her part, Meloni laughed off the controversy on social media, posting a photo of the angel with the caption: "No, I definitely don't look like an angel."