Rome’s Noonday Gun goes off with a bang – it’s a Piazza Garibaldi party!
“We’re here in Rome’s Piazza Garibaldi, on top of the Gianicolo Hill, and we’re just about to go down to see the gun being fired at midday. It’s a Sunday, so there are a lot of people here, and a lot of entertainment going on.
Piazza Garibaldi Midday Gun
No, we’re not at a farm show, we’re at the Piazza Garibaldi on a Sunday afternoon, and we’re all waiting for the noonday gun to be fired. It’s a 25-pounder, the soldiers have just rolled it out, and as you can hear, we are NOT alone!
The soldier looks at his watch, it’s about five minutes to go. The gun is ready. We’ve even got a female soldier taking part in the firing of the gun.
As this is a Sunday, I think there are rather more people here than there are during the week. It certainly makes for an atmosphere, though. The people on the top wall there are actually on the same level as Piazza Garibaldi.
Well, we’ve got some action. Three soldiers have just marched out, and they appear to be taking up their positions.
It’s one minute to twelve, they’ve just brought out the charge, which is a blank, no shell in it unfortunately, so the Victor Emmanuel Monument is safe…
The crowd’s got quieter, but actually, nothing’s happened, although we’re absolutely at twelve o’clock according to my watch.
He’s looking at his watch, the soldier’s got the firing cord, so get yourself ready!
(Crowd count down with soldier: “Cinque, Quattro, Tre, Due, Uno” then “BANG!”. Thunderous cheering and applause)
And the crowd are going wild!
So, set your watches, Ladies and Gentlemen!
So there we are: the midday gun at Rome’s Gianicolo Hill at Piazza Garibaldi. And there goes the gun, to the applause of the crowd.”
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Map of Rome: Piazza Garibaldi, Gianicolo Hill
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