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Pope Francis "joked around" with Giorgia Meloni after spending a "tranquil" fifth night in hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Italy's prime minister has said.
After visiting the pontiff on Wednesday, Ms Meloni's office said in a statement the 88-year-old was "alert and responsive" and they "joked around as always," adding he had "not lost his proverbial sense of humour".
In an update on Wednesday evening, the Vatican said the pontiff has shown "slight improvement" in results from recent blood tests.
Ms Meloni was the Pope's first confirmed visitor who wasn't a secretary or part of his medical team since he was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday to be treated for bronchitis.
Francis slept well, got out of bed, and ate breakfast on Wednesday, the Vatican said after tests confirmed he had developed bilateral pneumonia - which means both lungs are infected.
Officials cancelled his weekend engagements.
As a young adult, he had part of one of his lungs removed after contracting pleurisy.
The Vatican said tests, X-rays and the Pope's clinical condition continued to present "a complex picture".
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, said Pope Francis was in good spirits and was grateful for people's prayers.
The Pope is said to have been reading newspapers and doing some work from his hospital room during his stay.
Concerns have been growing about the pontiff's increasingly frail health.
Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years.
Pilgrims arriving at the Vatican this week have offered their prayers that the Pope would recover soon.
Bilateral pneumonia is a serious condition which can affect breathing, after causing inflammation and scarring of the lungs.
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The Vatican has so far not given any indication of how long the Pope will have to stay in hospital.
A spokesperson said the clinical picture had required several changes in his drug regimen and he would require an "adequate" stay.
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