midday
It was a grand spectacle . The whole army -- infantry , cavalry , artillery -- was drawn up in the immense _ piazza _ , each regiment carrying two flags -- the banner of the Church , on which were depicted the keys of heaven , and the red , white , and green flag of Italian freedom . The background to this scene was furnished by the cathedral itself , a vast throng of spectators crowded the foreground , and the whole united to produce an effect of pomp and grandeur that fairly beggars description . The clocks struck eighteen -- midday . The great bell sounded in the western turret of the cathedral , and the booming of cannon was once more heard from the Castle of St. Angelo . The service within the cathedral was at an end , the leather curtains that hung before the great bronze doors parted , and out poured the procession of pilgrims , until the whole wide expanse of the portico was filled . Mysterious music fell on the ear from somewhere above : a military band stationed aloft in the cupola had struck up a psalm of praise , and it seemed to the listeners to come from heaven itself .