For the Romans, it’s not just the blank fired by two soldiers from a cannon on the Janiculum hill every single day: it is the only valid method for them to know when it’s exactly 12 p.m.
It was the Pope who had the curious idea of introducing this method to synchronize the bell towers of the many churches in Rome. Moved from Castel Sant’Angelo to Monte Mario, to its current position, the cannon fire is still to this day an essential appointment for the people of Rome, who in spite of the ruthless unpredictability of the city’s traffic, always check if their watch is right at twelve o’clock sharp.
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