Angel resembling Meloni painted over after outcry from church and state

The cherub bore a striking resemblance to Giorgia Meloni (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Call it divine intervention, or maybe just a hasty fix-it job to put an end to days of speculation and scandal. But the end result is that the Angel Meloni is no more.

A painting of a cherub with a face bearing a remarkable resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attracted large crowds to the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, one of the oldest basilicas in Rome.