Italy’s culture minister and the Diocese of Rome have started investigations. They want to find out why an angel in the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina now looks like Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The newspaper La Repubblica first noticed the striking resemblance. It said, “Before the restoration, there was a generic cherub. Today, it is the face of the most powerful woman in the country.” The culture ministry quickly sent experts to inspect the restored angel. They aim to “establish the nature of the work carried out” and will decide future steps. Meloni herself shared the picture on Instagram. She joked, “No, I definitely do not look like an angel,” adding a laughing emoji. The basilica’s parish priest, Daniele Micheletti, said, “There is indeed a certain resemblance, but you would have to ask the restorer why it was done that way.” He added the restoration was needed after water damage and that the original painting was from 2000, so it was not protected as a heritage piece. The restorer, Bruno Valentinetti, said he worked on it for two years and finished a year ago. He claimed he simply restored the faces to their original look from 25 years ago. “I traced it and put the colour back in,” he explained. Valentinetti denied any political link or intention behind the resemblance, saying, “It’s not Meloni.” He called the project a volunteer effort to thank the parish priest. Opposition politicians have criticized the restoration. Irene Manzi of the centre-left Partito Democratico called it “unacceptable” and demanded an investigation. The Five Star Movement warned against using art for propaganda. The Diocese of Rome also expressed “disappointment” and promised urgent investigations. They stressed sacred art should not be misused and exists to support worship. The restoration debate brought more visitors to the basilica, as Valentinetti noted, “In the past years we’ve never seen so many people in this church.”