Iranian president touched by Mediterranean courtesy

Much was made of Italy’s decision yesterday, 26 January, to shield the eyes of the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani from the nude statues at Rome’s Capitoline Museums. Officials hid Roman sculptures including the museum’s prized Venus—who modestly attempts to cover her nakedness—in large white boxes for Rouhani’s first visit to Europe since trade sanctions on Iran were lifted. Italians took to Twitter to protest censorship, posting photos of other classical m