From the section 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption Plywood boxes concealed the nude statues at the museum in Rome 
 
 Italian hospitality for the visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stretched to covering up nude statues. 
 
 Mr Rouhani and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi spoke at Rome's Capitoline Museum after Italian firms signed business deals with Iran. 
 
 But several nudes there were hidden to avoid offending the Iranian president. 
 
 Italy also chose not to serve wine at official meals, a gesture France, where Mr Rouhani travels next, has refused to copy. 
 
 An Islamic republic, Iran has strict laws governing the consumption of alcohol. 
 
 Mr Rouhani is in Europe on a five-day tour seeking to boost economic ties after the implementation of a deal on rolling back Iran's nuclear activity saw sanctions lifted. 
 
 "Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region," the Iranian president told Italian business leaders. 
 
 He also stressed growth would be key to combating extremism, saying "unemployment creates soldiers for terrorists". 
 
 Monday saw contracts worth around €17bn ($18.4bn; £12bn) signed between Iran and Italian companies. 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption The Iranian president had a 40-minute meeting with Pope Francis 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption He also shared a stage with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and a statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption But some demonstrators protested against Iran's human rights record 
 
 On Tuesday, Mr Rouhani also met Pope Francis, who urged Iran to work with other Middle Eastern countries against terrorism and arms trafficking, the Vatican said. 
 
 Iran has been accused of funding militant groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. 
 
 Mr Rouhani asked the pontiff to pray for him, and gave him the gift of a hand-made carpet. 
 
 He travels to Paris on Wednesday where more deals are expected to be announced. An agreement with Airbus for the purchase of more than 100 aircraft is due to be finalised. 

 Italy has covered up ancient nude statues ahead of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani's official visit to Rome. 
 
 As the leader arrived to meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the Pope, plain white boards were pictured obscuring the sculptures in the city's Capitoline Museum. 
 
 A video published on Italian news websites showed the measures taken at the attraction. 
 
 The action was taken as a sign of respect for Mr Rouhani, whose country is a strongly conservative Islamic republic, according to Italian news agency Ansa. 
 
 The decision was also made not to serve alcohol at dinners with the visiting president, although this is a more standard diplomatic procedure for visiting officials from Islamic countries. 
 
 However, the move has been met with criticism. 
 
 A statement issued by Iranian women's rights campaign group My Stealthy Freedom called for female Italian politicians to speak out. 
 
 "So Italy! You respect Islamic values but the Islamic Republic of Iran does not respect our values [or] our freedom of choice," the statement said. 
 
 "They force any non-Muslim women to cover ourselves in Iran. If you are just visiting Iran uncovered you will be deported from the airport or if you are an Iranian woman then you won't have any education." 
 
 Twitter user Darius Arya criticised the decision, saying: "Iran visit brings Italy back to Counter-Reformation." 
 
 It is not the first time statues have been covered up in Italy for fear of causing offence to visiting Muslim diplomats. 
 
 In October 2015, ‘Gazing Ball’, a statue by Jeff Koons in Florence, was obscured when the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, visited Mr Renzi. 
 
 Mr Rouhani’s trip to Europe is the first since international sanctions against Iran were lifted, after the country's government agreed to limit Iran’s nuclear programme last year. 
 
 The Italian government is expecting the Iranian contingent to sign deals worth up to 17 billion euros with Italian companies during the visit. The southern European country has been suffering economically in recent years, particularly from high youth unemployment. 
 
 "This is just the beginning of a journey," Mr Renzi said, standing alongside Mr Rouhani. 
 
 "There are sectors where we must work closer together," 
 
 Mr Renzi also addressed the issue of international terrorism, while referencing militant group Isis - which opposes Iran and the West in equal measure. 
 
 "I am sure this visit will be a fundamental part of our ability to overcome together the challenge of fighting terrorism, atrocity and evil that we all have to confront together," he said. 
 
 Meanwhile, others on social media ridiculed the decision to hide statues with exposed genitals, with many people sharing an image seemingly doctored from pictures similar to the one above. 
 
 'did you cover up all the nudes for President Rouhani's visit?' 'yes Monsignor' 'are you sure?' 'pretty sure' pic.twitter.com/RtZUhDlzj0 — General Boles (@GeneralBoles) January 26, 2016 
 
 Reuters contributed to this report.
– Does anyone know what size pants Michelangelo's David wears? Italy covered up nude statues in advance of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani's visit this week, the BBC reports. According to the Independent, "plain white boards" were placed in front of certain sculptures at the Capitoline Museum in Rome as a "sign of respect" for Rouhani. In addition, wine won't be served at official meals with Rouhani (something France can't abide). Both are steps Italy has taken in the past during visits from dignitaries from Iran and other Middle East countries. Rouhani is on a European tour to "boost economic ties" in the wake of Iran's new nuclear deal, according to the BBC. "Unemployment creates soldiers for terrorists," he says.