ALBAWABA - A recently restored mural in a church in Rome attracted attention and drew controversy on social media for its resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, sparking widespread interest among the media on Saturday.
The mural is located in a small chapel belonging to the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina, a few meters from the Italian government headquarters in the center of Rome, and it has been recently restored, according to "La Repubblica "newspaper, which was the first to publish the news.
The mural showed a marble bust of Umberto II, the last king of Italy, and on the right, an angel is depicted holding a scroll bearing a map of Italy, with features very similar to those of Italy's hardline conservative prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Mural in a Rome church causes a stir for its resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Instagram/Giorgia Meloni)
Meloni responds to Rome's mural:
Even the Italian Prime Minister herself commented on the controversy by posting a photo of the mural on Instagram with the caption: "No, I certainly don't look like an angel."
In contrast, the artist who oversaw the restoration of the mural inside the church in Rome, Bruno Valentinetti, denied in press statements that he intended to photograph Meloni, stressing that he simply restored the mural to its original state.
Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli announced on Saturday that the ministry had ordered an examination of the mural and a formal investigation into the case.
