Valentinetti, 83, denied he modelled the cherub on the Prime Minister, saying he painted the exact face as the original from 2000. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took to Instagram to distance herself from the work, saying she did "not look like an angel". The diocese said while it was aware the fresco was being restored, it had not approved any additions or changes. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli instructed “technical officials” to visit the basilica to observe the fresco and “ascertain the nature of the intervention”. The Guardian reported the basilica that houses the fresco was consecrated by Pope Sixtus III in 440.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 04, 2026 09:14 UTC