A report from La Repubblica stated that the painter repainted the face on Tuesday night, as requested by the Vatican. Valentinetti told Italian media, “That’s what the Vatican wanted,” admitting the face was of the prime minister, based on an earlier painting. POLITICO contacted the Vatican for comment but received no response before publication.
The culture ministry released a statement on Wednesday saying that after the face was erased, Rome’s special superintendent informed the basilica’s rector about the rules. “Any restoration work requires an authorization request to the Religious Buildings Fund of the Interior Ministry, which owns the property, as well as to the Vicariate and the Special Superintendency of Rome, accompanied by a sketch of the image,” the statement read.
While Meloni previously joked about the situation, noting, “I definitely don’t look like an angel,” it was unclear on Wednesday how Italy’s right-wing leader felt about the erasure. POLITICO reached out to Meloni’s office and the basilica’s rector for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Leave a Reply