Italian gallery covers nude statues before Rouhani visit

From the ancient Romans to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, the naked human form has been celebrated for its aesthetics and beauty by Italian artists.

But a Roman gallery bucked the trend this week when it covered up nude statues to spare the blushes of visiting Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.

The gallery, the Musei Capitolini on the Piazza del Campidoglio, covered four statues in a corridor before the Rouhani's visit on Monday for a joint press conference with the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi. 

Video of the handiwork was posted by Corriere TV.

According to local press reports, the statues were covered out of respect to the culture and sensitivity of Iran.

The covered statues included the Statue Della Venere Capitolina, a larger-than-life-sized nude believed to be almost 2,500 years old.

The national news agency Ansa reported that no wine was served at the official dinner during Rouhani's visit as a further mark of respect.

Rouhani is on a state visit to Italy and the Vatican City, where he met the pope on Tuesday.

It is the Iranian president's first European tour since trade sanctions were lifted following an agreement to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Italian companies have been among the quicket quickest to capitalise on the new potential market, with a major business delegation having visited Tehran in November.