(VIDEO ONLY) If there’s one symbol that captures all eyes during a conclave, it’s undoubtedly the chimney installed atop the Sistine Chapel. From this vent will emerge the black or white smoke that signals whether or not the cardinals have reached a consensus on who will be the next pope.
In preparation for this imminent event, Vatican firefighters have already installed the iconic chimney. The structure has been secured to the rooftop tiles and will be visible from St. Peter’s Square.
What few people know is that this chimney is actually a portable structure, only placed on the Sistine Chapel roof in the days leading up to a conclave.
On May 7, 133 cardinal electors—all under the age of 80 and mostly appointed by Pope Francis himself—will vote until they choose the new pope, the 267th in history.
