Trending on Social Media, Opposition Calls for Investigation…Meloni Responds, “Doesn’t Look Like an Angel”
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Song Gwang-ho = During the restoration of a mural in a historic church in Rome, a depiction of an angel resembling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (48) has raised controversy.
The British daily The Guardian reported on the 1st (local time) that claims have been made that one of the murals in the San Lorenzo in Lucina Cathedral, built in the 4th century, was restored to resemble Prime Minister Meloni. This has prompted the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Roman Diocese to launch an investigation.
The theory of resemblance between the angel and the current prime minister was first proposed by the Italian daily newspaper ‘La Repubblica’. The newspaper reported on its front page that one of the two angels next to the marble bust of Italy’s last king now has a “familiar and remarkably modern face.”
It added, “Before restoration, it was a typical baby angel, but now it has become the face of the most powerful woman in the country.”
The report triggered a strong backlash. Follow-up reports ensued, and related images spread rapidly through social media (SNS). As the controversy grew, the Ministry of Culture stated through a statement that experts were dispatched to investigate the painting and that they would decide on any subsequent measures based on the results.
The opposition immediately criticized.
A lawmaker from the Democratic Party (PD), the main opposition party, stated, “The revealed facts are unacceptable” and highlighted the need to investigate whether there were any violations of cultural heritage regulations in the restoration process. The Five Star Movement (M5S), the second-largest opposition party, asserted, “Regardless of whether the face depicted in the fresco is the prime minister’s, we should not allow art and culture to be exploited for propaganda purposes.”
While the images and posts highlighting the resemblance spread on social media and criticism from the opposition grows, Prime Minister Meloni humorously responded to the bizarre controversy. According to the newspaper, she posted the painting on her Instagram with a reply saying, “I clearly do not look like that angel,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
The church explained that the mural required restoration due to flood damage and was created in 2000, thus not being subject to cultural heritage protection.
Father Daniele Micheletti, a priest of the church, evaluated the painter responsible for the restoration as “not just a simple decorator but very skilled.” The artist who painted the fresco stated, “I worked on it for two years and completed it a year ago,” and emphasized that the angel “is not Meloni,” claiming, “I only restored a face that was painted 25 years ago.”
The Roman Diocese expressed “disappointment” over the incident and announced they would immediately launch the necessary investigation to identify those responsible. The diocese further emphasized that “the images of sacred art and Christian tradition are solely to support liturgical life and prayer, and should not be misused or abused.”