Church and government officials in Italy have launched an investigation into claims that the face of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was painted on an angel during the restoration of a fresco in Rome.
Italy's culture ministry has sent officers to inspect the artwork in a chapel of the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina, while the Diocese of Rome expressed its disappointment and said it would determine who had been responsible.
The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, said he had simply restored the fresco he painted in 2000 and denied modelling the angel after the prime minister.
Meloni responded in a post on Instagram saying she was definitely not like an angel, accompanied by a laughing emoji.
The apparent likeness was first reported on Saturday by Italian newspaper La Repubblica, which ran before-and-after pictures of the fresco and claimed the angel holding a map of Italy had previously looked like a generic cherub.
The parish priest stated that the paintings had simply been touched up following recent water damage but expressed confusion over the fuss in any case.
Valentinetti, who is now 83, steadfastly denied claims that he altered the face to resemble Meloni, asking critics, Who says it resembles Meloni?. Opposition parties have demanded an investigation, citing that art should not be a tool for propaganda.
In response to the uproar, Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli ordered technical officials to inspect the painting to ascertain the nature of the intervention.
The Diocese of Rome acknowledged knowledge of the restoration but claimed it had been assured that no modifications would be made. It stated that the change was the decorator's uncommunicated initiative and emphasized its commitment to protecting its artistic heritage from exploitation.
