Billboard featuring 'bare-chested nun' sparks outrage in Italy

A billboard featuring a bare-chested model dressed as nun has sparked an almighty blasphemy row.

The raunchy ad poster for an Italian fashion company Rosso di Sera, which shows the woman praying flashing her cleavage, was put up right ahead of the Pope Francis's visit to Naples, the Daily Star reported.

The nine metre-high billboard ad left locals and religious pilgrims fuming and the authorities were bombarded with complaints against the company.

Many people claimed that the poster was a cynical attempt by the company to "cash in," and debate raged online about whether it was tactfully timed.

Howewer, the firm said that they had planned the poster long before the Pope's upcoming visit was announced, and though they "recognize that we have made a strong marketing choice but there was no intent to blaspheme."

The statement added "Trivializing the act of prayer was not the intention in any way. Strongly regrets being accused of things extremely far from our values and our culture.