Meloni Chapel? Italy investigate the appearance of a Church angel

A painting in a Rome church has prompted an investigation following complaints that a newly-restored cherub bears a remarkable likeness to the nation’s leader, Giorgia Meloni. The controversy surrounds restoration works carried out on a painting in the Chapel of the Holy Souls in Purgatory in the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, central Rome. The furor has lured hundreds of people to the basilica’s chapel, which has been dubbed the “Meloni Chapel.” Although the work was completed in December, side-by-side images posted to social media in recent days of the restored work and Meloni show a striking resemblance. The Diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry have launched investigations into the renovations at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina.
The restorer, Bruno Valentinetti, has denied making the image look like the Italian leader, telling local media that he copied the original 2000 drawing, adding that he did the work for free as a volunteer. The chapel vicar Cardinal Baldo Reina has issued a statement on the matter, but has not weighed in on whether the angel’s face is that of the prime minister.It was jammed on Sunday and Monday with curiosity-seekers straining to photograph the angel in a side chapel up near the front altar, at times disrupting Mass.
Meloni responded to the picture on social media, saying, "No, I definitely don't look like an angel," with a laughing/crying emoji alongside a photo of the work.Italians rejected the monarchy after World War II because of its support for Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini; Meloni’s right-wing party has its roots in the neo-fascist party that succeeded Mussolini.
The basilica is located on one of Rome’s fanciest piazzas just down the block from the Spanish Steps. It was consecrated in 440 by Pope Sixtus III and subsequently enlarged and rebuilt. It is now the property of the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for its upkeep.The angel was restored after water infiltration damaged the basilica. The parish priest, the Reverend Daniele Micheletti, acknowledged the resemblance to Meloni but dismissed the significance, noting that plenty of artists depicted real-life people in their works.