[ "The face of an angel on a restored church fresco in Rome that sparked outrage because of its likeness to Italy's prime minister, has been crudely scrubbed out by the artist who painted it.", "Church and government officials launched an investigation after pictures of a cherub at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina showed her newly restored face had an uncanny likeness to right-wing leader, Giorgia Meloni.", "The artist, Bruno Valentinetti, at first denied the claims, but on Wednesday he admitted that it was indeed the prime minister's face. He insisted that it was similar to the original, however.", "Valentinetti, 83, told la Repubblica that he was ordered to cover up the painting by the Vatican.", "The original facial features will now be restored, the office of the Diocese of Rome said on Wednesday, following a strongly worded statement from Rome's Cardinal Baldassare Reina.", "Expressing his 'disappointment over what happened', Reina stated that 'images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited'.", "The Basilica of St Lawrence, located just a five-minute walk from Meloni's office, has seen an influx of curious visitors wanting to see the now-infamous fresco.", "Rev. Daniele Michelett, the basilica's priest, commented that many visitors came to take selfies rather than to pray, noting that he initially did not see the resemblance to the prime minister but agreed the artwork did not fit the original sacred context.", "The wall painting in question was created in 2000 and was not heritage protected. It is in a chapel dedicated to Italy's last king, Umberto II, showing the cherub holding a map of Italy.", "Bruno Valentinetti, the original artist, had been asked to restore the artwork after water damage. Further restoration work will now require authorization from the government agency in charge of preserving Rome's cultural sites.", "The Vatican has yet to comment on the matter." ]