Restored angel in Rome given
Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/TT

Restored angel in Rome given Giorgia Meloni's face

A restored mural in an ancient Roman basilica has caused a stir in Italy, with a winged angel now bearing a striking resemblance to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

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The fresco depicts two so-called cherubs next to a bust of Italy's last king Umberto II, in the Basilica of San Lorenzo outside the walls of Rome, writes The Guardian.

The Roman newspaper La Repubblica was the first to notice that a previously “generic cherub” had new features. The matter is being investigated by both the Diocese of Rome and the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Bruno Valentinetti, an 83-year-old church volunteer and "volunteer decorator", denies that he depicted Meloni, but claims that it looks exactly as before.

"Everyone sees what they want to see. If it makes you happy, you can like it. It's an angel's face," he tells La Stampa.

“No, I really don't look like an angel,” Meloni jokingly notes on Instagram.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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