The case of the restoration of the wall dedicated to Umberto II in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome, where one of the angels flanking the bust of the “King of May” has taken on somatic features strikingly similar to those of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is rapidly making the rounds in the media and on social media. The news, relaunched by Repubblica and taken up by major national newspapers, turned a restoration intervention into a real media case, fueling a heated debate between heritage protection, arbitrariness of the intervention and political imagery.
Within hours, as often happens, the discussion also moved to the web. Memes, cartoons and photomontages invaded X, Instagram and Threads, reinterpreting the angel with irony and sarcasm. The episode stimulated a communal creativity that quickly transcended the boundaries of the Roman basilica, contaminating masterpieces of ancient and modern art: from the Mona Lisa to the Nike of Samothrace, from Venus to Francesco Albani’s angels, to improbable volunteer interventions at the Uffizi.
Several users joked about the similarity claiming that “everyone sees what they want.” There is no shortage of references to the famous case ofBorja’sEcce Homo, transformed for the occasion into a politically updated version, nor pop quotes: Checco Zalone, Chiara Ferragni, Cristian De Sica and even news headlines become tools to ridicule a restoration perceived by many as overly creative. Some profiles openly speak of vandalism, while others downplay, claiming that it is simply just another putto face.
Beyond the irony, however, the central issue remains: the intervention took place within a listed property, declared of cultural interest as early as 1951. The Special Superintendence of Roma Capitale is now called upon to verify the regularity of the authorizations and the compliance of the restoration with the norms of the Cultural Heritage Code, which imposes stringent criteria and respect for the principle of reversibility. If the intervention is found to be non-compliant, the restoration of the wall’s original appearance may be required. Meanwhile, while official assessments are awaited, the angel of San Lorenzo in Lucina has already fulfilled its more typically contemporary destiny: it has left the chapel and entered fully into the universe of digital culture. Below, we have selected some of the most shared memes and cartoons that have enlivened the online conversation. Here are which ones.
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