The 16ft-high bronze statue, which stands in a prominent spot outside the Italian capital's main train station, was criticised for bearing little resemblance to the much-loved Polish pope when it was originally erected in May 2011.

Some Romans called it "hideous" while the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said the sculpture looked as though it had been gashed by a bomb explosion and that the Pope's head was "excessively round".

The "new" John Paul has been given a smile, replacing his originally stern demeanour, and his neck is slightly more defined.