Henry Matthews in Church of St John Lateran, Rome - 30 April, 1818
from The Diary of an invalid, being the journal of a tour... in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and France, 1817-1819, pages 229-230:
A grand ceremony at the church of St. John Lateran; at the conclusion of which the Pope, from the balcony, gave his blessing to the people, who were assembled in thousands in the large square below.
As soon as the Pope appeared, there was a discharge of artillery; the bands of military music struck up; and the people sunk on their knees, uncovered. A solemn silence ensued, and the blessing was conferred. All seemed to receive this with reverential awe, and it was impossible not to imbibe a portion of the general feeling.
Henry Matthews, The Diary of an invalid, being the journal of a tour... in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and France, 1817-1819, volume 5th edition (London, 1835), p. 229-230. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1518782128890 accessed: 8 October, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
hide composersMilitary band music-- Catholic ceremony | performed by Military bands |
Experience Information
Date/Time | 30 April, 1818 |
Medium | live |
Listening Environment | in the company of others, outdoors, in public |