Rome Covers its Statues to Not Offend Rohani

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com



"Is he gone? Can we come out now?"


It's the biggest cover up in Italy since the Vatican Bank scandal. With Hassan Rohani, the President of Iran (Yes, they have one), coming on a state visit to Rome, Italian officials decided that all those nude statues in the Capitolini Museum, where Rohani met the Italian president, Matteo Renzi, Monday, had to  be covered up. They couldn't offend the moral sensibilities of Rohani, you know. (Somebody might get killed.) They have, however, offended many Italians.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/26/rome-spares-iranian-presidents-blushes-covering-nude-statues

I note that Rohani also met with the Pope. No word on whether he visited the Colosseum. I;m sure he must have since he would surely love to see where the Christians were fed to the lions.

Here is the report from La Stampa (in Italian) It focuses on Renzi's aide, Ilva Sapora, who is under fire not only for the statue controversy, but a number of other gaffes.

http://www.lastampa.it/2016/01/28/esteri/dai-rolex-dei-sauditi-al-cibo-scadente-tutte-le-gaffe-del-capo-del-cerimoniale-4Ic4UCFHvbF8fNJNpgzW7M/pagina.html