Vatican City: The bells are ringing out now across St Peter’s Square—low, solemn, and rolling over the heads of some 40,000 people packed shoulder to shoulder in the heart of Vatican City.
Another 150,000 or so are crammed along Via della Conciliazione and into every side street within shouting distance. The scale is jaw-dropping.
Crowds gather at the Vatican.Credit: Getty Images
But not everyone’s queueing with the rest of us.
Late last night, US President Donald Trump and wife Melania were quietly ushered into St Peter’s Basilica for a private moment before the Pope’s coffin. Italian President Sergio Mattarella was also granted a separate entry.
Trump rolled into Rome after 10pm and spent the night at Villa Taverna, the ultra-posh residence of the US ambassador tucked away in Parioli—the leafy Roman district where locals routinely lose their minds over parking bans and phone signal blackouts every time a motorcade shows up.
Security is tight, tensions are rising, and thousands more are expected to miss out on space in the square. But for now, with the bells ringing and the city holding its breath, the focus is on the man they all came to honour.
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