Latest news with #SistineChapel
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
Drones and contraband pose everyday challenges in Quebec detention centres
A seagull attacks a drone flying over St. Peter's Square as Cardinals are gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Gregorio Borgia MONTREAL — On any given day, drones buzz in the skies above Quebec's detention centres looking to drop tobacco, drugs or cellphones to the inmates below. Statistics from Quebec's public security minister show staff reported 274 drones flying over provincial centres between January and March — or just over three per day. That doesn't include the 10 federally-managed prisons in the province. Corrections spokespeople and a drone expert say the problem is growing, dangerous and hard to stop, despite millions of dollars invested by provincial and federal governments. Stéphane Blackburn, the managing director for Quebec's correctional services, described the threat of airborne contraband as 'something we face every day.' The provincial figures show 195 of the 247 drones were seen dropping packages. Most of them — 69 per cent — were reported as seized. The province also seized 896 cellphones. But the data shows drone sightings have been growing gradually in recent years. There were 695 drone sightings logged from April 2021 to the end of March of 2022. For the same period between 2024 and 2025, there were 1,175. They're also increasingly being spotted outside Montreal. 'A few years ago, it was mainly in the metropolitan region that we saw drone events,' Blackburn said. 'Montreal has been subjected to the problems for several years now, and now we see a rise in drone events in certain regions.' Blackburn says the most common forms of contraband are tobacco and cannabis, although cellphones, tools and other drugs are also seized. In recent weeks, the province has announced an additional $38.5 million worth of measures aimed at curbing contraband smuggling. Those include technological solutions such as drone and cellphone detectors, and physical infrastructure including fencing or netting around windows and courtyards. Workers will also be using mobile X-ray scanners and body scanners to detect items once they've been delivered. The federal government also announced a pilot project in March that will allow correctional staff to use radio-frequency jammers to block wireless communication to drones and cellphones in federal and Quebec detention centres. Frédérick Lebeau, the national president of the Union of Canadian Correction officers, said the rise in drone drops in correctional facilities has been 'exponential' in recent years. 'We can talk about several drops a day — three, four, it depends,' he said. He said drops happen often when inmates are in the yard, and packages are quickly snapped up and hidden in body cavities or elsewhere. Sometimes, drones are flown directly to windows where inmates have dismantled the bars. He said the presence of contraband — including drugs and weapons — can create debts among inmates and allow criminal networks to operate, resulting in increased violence for detainees and corrections staff alike. 'It's really an ecosystem,' he said. 'If there are more debts, there's more violence. If there's more drinking, more drugs, there's violent (incidents) where we have to intervene.' Lebeau said that while new announcements by the different levels of government are 'a step forward,' many of the measures have only been put in place in a few institutions. In particular, he says there's a need for more jammers to stop drones from reaching jails and prisons, as well as body scanners to catch the drugs once they're dropped. 'It's not just detecting drones, we have to catch them,' he said. Jeremy Laliberte, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ottawa's Carleton University, says drones are an ideal tool for delivering contraband because they're 'ubiquitous, inexpensive,' and can be launched from kilometres away. 'The folks who want to do this can buy them for a few hundred dollars, modify them, remove any identifying information and launch them and not even worry about getting them back,' he said. He said the war in Ukraine — as well as domestic concerns about malicious operators — have spurred a growing interest in counter-drone technology, including better detectors that can locate both the drone and the operator. However, these systems are expensive and complex to develop, while 'the drones themselves are hundreds of dollars.' Laliberte said physical barriers such as fencing and netting as well as the detectors, jammers, and scanners can all work to protect detention centres, though he notes determined operators can find a way around any one measure. That's why he says a layered model that combines different strategies — the so-called 'Swiss cheese model' — has the best chance of success. 'There isn't going to be just one strategy that's going to be the magic bullet that stops everything,' he said. 'It's going to have to be a mix of things, because the technology, it's like an arms race. There's always going to be people trying to get better at this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025. Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
Telegraph
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Michelangelo ‘hated painting the Sistine Chapel'
Michelangelo never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel, a historian claimed. The Italian artist – who lived a 'long and miserable' life – actually 'loathed' painting and wanted to sculpt instead. But he was forced to paint the ceiling of the chapel in Vatican City, Rome, by 'stalker' Pope Julius II who wanted to 'punish' him for trying to flee the Italian capital, according to Ada Palmer, an American historian. Ms Palmer told the BBC's History Extra podcast that Michelangelo 'hated painting and never wanted to paint the stupid Sistine Chapel.' She added: 'That was a punishment because he ran away from the stalker pope. And the stalker pope was like: 'I'm going to punish this man, I know he just wants to sculpt, so I'm going to make him paint for two years.' 'He [Michelangelo] always hated painting. If he had a bumper sticker, it would be, 'I'd rather be sculpting,' right? This man spoke the language of rocks.' Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512. The building was built between 1473 and 1481 and is the most famous chapel inside the Vatican, as it is the site of the papal ceremonies. Ms Palmer, who teaches in the history department at the University of Chicago, told the podcast: 'Pope Julius II was obsessed with Michelangelo and wanted Michelangelo to build him this incredibly giant tomb, which would have been like the largest tomb ever made with something like 30 life-size monumental statues of prisoners chained to the base of it with the triumphant warrior pope on top. 'And Michelangelo kept getting more and more frustrated with Julius and just wanted to go home to Florence and sculpt. 'And he'd come to Rome hoping to gain fame as a young man in his very early 20s. And he'd done some good work there, the famous Pietà. 'But Michelangelo was commissioned to do this impossible tomb and then things went wrong – the marble wasn't there. The Pope kept being a jerk, he got more and more frustrated.' The author said Michelangelo did not want to live in Rome as he 'hated' it there, and so tried to run away to Florence. She added: 'The Pope sent guards to chase him down and seize him by force and drag him out of the inn. 'There was a confrontation between them and the Florentine militia people. They ended up protecting him. He went to Florence. 'The Pope was like, 'I'm going to besiege Florence, I'm going to send my armies there right now, send me Michelangelo'.' The historian said Michelangelo was then returned to Rome, adding: 'The Pope makes him paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling because he knows he'll hate that.' She said the artist, who died aged 88 in 1564, lived a 'very long and miserable life'.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The chilling truth behind the heavenly voice of the 'Angel of Rome': Ethereal song of the only castrato ever recorded goes viral as people learn about the Catholic Church's horrendous role in mutilating boys
For centuries, their voices soared in gilded churches and candlelit concert halls - otherworldly, pure and achingly beautiful. But behind the ethereal sound of the castrato singers lay an unspeakable truth. To preserve the high, angelic tone of boyhood, thousands of young boys were castrated. After women were forbidden by the Pope from singing in sacred spaces, boys with exceptional vocal talent were mutilated before puberty, preventing their voices from breaking and allowing them to sing soprano with the lung power of grown men. Now, a viral video shared by opera singer and vocal coach Eva Lindqvist, known as @evateachingopera on Instagram, has pulled back the curtain on this chilling chapter in musical history. In the video, Eva plays a rare and eerie recording. 'This is the voice of Alessandro Moreschi, the last known castrato singer and the only whose singing was ever recorded,' she tells her followers. 'His voice sounds fragile, and almost ghostly, right? What I have to say is he wasn't young anymore when these recordings were produced.' Moreschi was castrated around the age of seven for so-called 'medical reasons' - a common euphemism at the time. He would go on to join the Pope's personal choir at the Sistine Chapel, earning the nickname 'The Angel of Rome.' The recordings, made in 1902 and 1904, capture a voice that is equal parts ethereal and unsettling - a glimpse of a practice long buried by history. 'Why were boys with beautiful voices castrated from the 16th-19th century?' Eva asks in the video. 'To preserve their angelic tone. The result was the power of a man with the range of a boy. 'The practice began in the 16th century, mainly for church music when women were banned from singing in sacred places, and it only ended in the late 19th century - can you believe that?' The Catholic Church's role in the proliferation of castrato singers has remained controversial, with calls for an official apology for the mutilations carried out under its watch. As early as 1748, Pope Benedict XIV attempted to ban the practice, but it was so entrenched, and so popular with audiences, that he eventually relented, fearing it would cause church attendance to drop. While Moreschi remains the only castrato whose solo voice was ever recorded, others like Domenico Salvatori, who sang alongside him, also made ensemble recordings - none of which have survived as solo performances. Moreschi officially retired in 1913 and died in 1922, marking the true end of the era. Eva's video, which has now racked up thousands of views and stirred a wave of emotional reactions, concludes with a poignant message. 'Alessandro Moreschi's voice is a haunting reminder of a time when boys were altered for art - praised for their voices, but silenced in so many other ways,' she wrote in the caption. 'His story isn't just vocal history - it's a glimpse into beauty, sacrifice and a world we can't imagine today.' Castration, often carried out between the ages of 8 and 10, was performed under grim conditions. Some boys were placed in ice or milk baths, given opium to induce a coma and then subjected to techniques such as twisting the testicles until they atrophied or, in rare cases, complete surgical removal. Many didn't survive the procedure - either from accidental opium overdose, or from being rendered unconscious by prolonged compression of the carotid artery. Where the procedures were carried out remained a closely guarded secret. Italian society, even then, was deeply ashamed. The act was technically illegal across all provinces, and yet boys continued to disappear into the folds of choir schools, never to reach physical manhood. The physical effects on those who survived were dramatic. The absence of testosterone meant that bone joints didn't harden, resulting in elongated limbs and ribs. This unique anatomy, combined with rigorous training, gave the castrati immense lung capacity and vocal flexibility, allowing them to sing with supernatural agility and power unmatched by male or female voices today. Despite their cultural cachet, castrati were rarely referred to by that name. More polite, yet often derisive, terms like musico or evirato (emasculated) were used. In public, they were celebrated and in private, they were pitied. Rumours have long circulated that the Vatican harboured castrato singers until the 1950s. While false, these stories hint at the mystique surrounding Moreschi's successors. One singer, Domenico Mancini, was so adept at mimicking Moreschi that even Vatican officials believed he was a true castrato. In reality, he was simply a falsettist - an uncastrated singer trained to imitate the distinctive sound. But it is Moreschi's voice that endures as a spectral echo of a vanished world. As Eva Lindqvist says: 'The Angel of Rome died in April 1922 - the voice of a lost world.' Among the most legendary castrato singers were Giovanni Battista Velluti and Giusto Fernando Tenducci - two flamboyant, fascinating figures whose lives read like a Regency-era soap opera. The last of the greats: Giovanni Battista Velluti Giovanni Battista Velluti, often referred to simply as 'Giambattista', was born in 1780 in Pausula, Italy, and is widely recognised as the last great castrato. But his rise to fame began in shocking circumstances. At just eight years old, Velluti was castrated by a local doctor, supposedly as a treatment for a cough and high fever. Despite his father's plans for him to join the military, his new physical condition meant he was instead enrolled in music training - a decision that would ultimately change his life and the opera world forever. Velluti quickly gained attention for his extraordinary voice and dramatic presence. He even became close with a future Pope, Luigi Cardinal Chiaramonte, who would later become Pope Pius VII, after performing a cantata during his teenage years. He became so renowned that major composers began writing roles specifically for him. Velluti made his London debut in 1825. Although he was the first castrato to perform in London in 25 years, and was initially met with scepticism, the curiosity and spectacle of his voice drew huge crowds. He went on to manage The King's Theatre in 1826, starring in Aureliano In Palmira and Tebaldo Ed Isolina by Morlacchi. But his theatrical reign wasn't without drama. His diva-like behaviour led to tensions backstage, with reports that some singers refused to share the stage with him. His stint as theatre manager ended following disputes over chorus pay - a financial spat that brought his behind-the-scenes ambitions to a halt. Velluti made one final return to London in 1829, though only for concert performances. After retiring from music, he lived a quieter life as an agriculturist, passing away in 1861 at the age of 80. His death marked the end of an era - he was the last great operatic castrato. The scandalous soprano: Giusto Fernando Tenducci If Velluti was the final chapter of the castrato phenomenon, Giusto Fernando Tenducci was one of its most flamboyant and scandalous stars. Born around 1735 in Siena, Tenducci trained at the Naples Conservatory after undergoing castration as a boy. He first rose to fame in Italy but soon found his true stage in the UK, where his career and personal life took several unexpected turns. He arrived in London in 1758 and began performing at the prestigious King's Theatre. Tenducci also found himself in financial trouble, spending eight months in a debtors' prison, but it didn't dampen his career. By 1764, he was back at the King's Theatre, starring in a new opera in which he sang the title role opposite the star castrato Giovanni Manzuoli. But it was his private life that truly stunned society. In 1766, Tenducci secretly married a 15-year-old Irish heiress named Dorothea Maunsell. The marriage was repeated the following year with a formal licence, despite the glaring issue that he was a castrato. Unsurprisingly, the marriage caused a scandal. In 1772, it was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation or impotence, one of the very few legal grounds on which a woman could successfully sue for divorce at the time. Notorious libertine Giacomo Casanova claimed in his autobiography that Dorothea had given birth to two children with Tenducci. But modern biographer Helen Berry, while digging into the case, couldn't verify the claim, and suggested the children may have belonged to Dorothea's second husband. Still, the speculation endures, as does Tenducci's status as one of the most controversial castrati to grace the stage. A close friend of Moreschi's: Domenico Salvatori Domenico Salvatori was a star in his own right in the rarefied, gilded world of 19th-century sacred music. It wasn't long before he made the leap to the even more prestigious Sistine Chapel Choir, where he transitioned to singing soprano or mezzo-soprano, depending on the repertoire. There, he became an integral part of the choir's inner workings, eventually taking on the role of choir secretary, a trusted position. Salvatori's devotion to the chapel and his music was matched by his friendships. He was especially close to Moreschi. While Salvatori never recorded any solo material, he did lend his voice to a handful of early phonograph sessions - musical relics that remain among the few surviving audio records of the castrato sound. Though the recordings were intended to showcase the Sistine Choir's choral sound rather than individual singers, careful listeners can still pick out Salvatori's unique tone. Salvatori died in Rome on 11 December 1909. But even in death, his bond with Moreschi remained unbroken. He was laid to rest in the Monumental Cimitero di Campo Verano - not just near, but in Moreschi's tomb, a quiet but deeply telling tribute to a lifelong friendship rooted in music, faith and their shared place in history as the final echoes of a vanishing vocal tradition.
News18
20-05-2025
- News18
No Airports, No Problem: 5 Countries That Still Attract Tourists In Huge Numbers
Last Updated: These five countries in the world attract a large number of visitors each year, even though they do not have any airports. Read more about them here. Airports play a significant role in attracting tourists, particularly families who prefer direct flights to their chosen destination, as they avoid the inconvenience of additional connecting flights, road transport, or rail transport. We all agree that direct flights are convenient for travellers reaching their final destination. However, did you know that despite lacking airports, five countries receive a substantial number of tourists each year? Yes, you read that correctly. Let's delve into the details here. Andorra This beautiful country, tucked away in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is too small and hilly to have an airport. After landing at one of the neighbouring airports in France (Toulouse) or Spain (La Seu d'Urgell), travellers usually take a car trip to Andorra. This is nevertheless a well-loved location for skiing and duty-free shopping despite its restricted accessibility. Monaco Monaco, a small independent city-state on the French Riviera, lacks an airport of its own. Instead, tourists usually arrive in Monaco by car or helicopter after landing at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France. Despite having a small land area, the country is well-known for its casinos, Formula One Grand Prix, and upscale travel. Liechtenstein This is another landlocked nation between Austria and Switzerland, which lacks an airport. With road and rail connections inside the country, Zurich is the closest major airport, which is about 120 kilometres away. With its robust infrastructure and small size, the cross-border travel is simple for tourists. Due to its small land size, Vatican City, also known as the smallest independent state in the world, lacks an airport. Most visitors access the Vatican on foot or by car after arriving at one of Rome's international airports. Despite this, the Vatican City draws millions of tourists each year who come to explore attractions like St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. San Marino One of the oldest republics in the world, San Marino, is another nation without a hub for air travel. It has no airport and is completely encircled by Italy. The nearest major airport is only a short drive away in Rimini, Italy. Its hilltop views and medieval buildings have attracted tourists despite the absence of an airport. First Published: May 20, 2025, 14:45 IST
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
The Pope Leo XIV effect: Rome hopes for papal blessings of a US tourist boom
Even before the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel emitted its last puff of white smoke, signalling to the world that the Roman Catholic church had a new pope, Atlante Star, a hotel with a privileged view over St Peter's Basilica from its rooftop terrace, began to receive inquiries about room availability over the following few days. Then, about an hour later, when the Chicago-born cardinal Robert Prevost was declared Pope Leo XIV, the inquiries turned into bookings as the tourists, mostly from the US, rushed to secure a place to stay in Rome in time for the pontiff's inaugural Sunday mass on 18 May. 'Some made tentative bookings but when the date was announced things really started to move,' said Federico Mencucci, the hotel's owner. 'We are now mostly full with people from North America, and not just pilgrims.' US visitors, appreciated for traditionally being generous spenders and tippers, already make up the largest cohort of tourists in the Italian capital, with a record 2.5 million visiting in 2024. Now the city is counting on being blessed with even more, driven by what the Italian newspapers are calling the 'effetto Papa Leone XIV' – the Pope Leo XIV effect. Gelato makers are conjuring up 'Papa Leone' flavours to appeal to US tastes, while a bar in the vicinity of the Vatican is hoping to attract new custom by promoting a beer named after the new pope. Initial signs look promising: during conclave, when images of Rome and the Sistine Chapel, where the secret papal election was held, were broadcast across the world, registered a 36% rise in searches for Rome among US-based users of the site. Official data on actual bookings since Prevost, the first US pope in Catholic church history, was elected, is not yet available. But if papal history dictates travel trends, Rome can expect a boom in American arrivals, just as the papacy of the popular Pope Francis saw a rise in Argentinian visitors and John Paul II's brought an increase in visits by Poles. 'The choice of an American pope, the first in history, will certainly influence US tourist flows,' said Alessandro Onorato, Rome's tourism councillor. 'They are already our primary market.' The entire tourism chain in Rome and beyond is certainly hoping the trend will continue, especially after a relatively slow start to the much-anticipated Catholic jubilee year (a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, held every quarter century). 'Our expectations were low when Pope Francis became ill and spent two months in hospital,' said Mencucci. 'Any jubilee events that did take place were missing the main actor. But after his death and the conclave, it certainly feels as if this new pope has reawakened things.' Gianluca De Gaetano, manager of the Rome unit for Federalberghi, the hotels' association, is also cautiously optimistic. 'At the moment, the hotel occupancy rate is similar to this time last year,' he said. 'While on one hand, the jubilee attracted a few more tourists, others were discouraged due to worries about overcrowding. 'Let's say that the death of Francis and the election of a new pope has helped rebalance a situation that was a little negative during the first few months of the year.' De Gaetano said that while the hotel sector is 'indifferent' to a pope's nationality, having more higher-spending tourists from the US was not to be sniffed at because it feeds the entire city. A survey in February by the European Travel Commission found that 33% of US tourists in Europe spend more than €200 (£170) a day. Cinzia Renzi, president of Assoviaggi-Confesercenti, an association of travel agencies for Rome and Lazio, predicts the impact of Pope Leo on travellers from the US, home to the world's fourth largest Catholic population, will be felt more over the next year or two. 'American dioceses are very well organised and will certainly take the opportunity to plan trips that are not already scheduled,' she said. Massimiliano Del Monte, owner of Gelateria Del Monte in Borgo Pio, just steps away from the Vatican, is not leaving anything to chance. He is one of two ice-cream makers in Rome known to be preparing a special flavour to lure US custom. 'Over the years Americans have always asked for a flavour with peanuts, so I have taken this cue to create something new,' he said. The ice-cream, called Leonem, needs a little perfection and will be ready to serve on Monday, the Guardian was told. Still, Del Monte has already noted a flurry of US custom since Leo was elected. 'Beyond my ice-cream, the real reason more Americans are attracted to Rome is because of Pope Leo, and I think this is a true blessing, and not only for Italy's tourism – he has arrived at a delicate moment in the world, when we need peace.' Danielle, a non-Catholic, and Daryl, a lapsed one, from Cincinnati in Ohio, agreed. They were in Sorrento when the white smoke appeared. 'The reaction was mind-blowing,' said Danielle. 'But we didn't know the new pope was American until a friend called us from home.' The couple then travelled to Rome, where they are staying in a hotel in Esquilino booked a year ago. It was only when they arrived that they realised Pope Francis had been buried in the nearby Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. 'The first thing we did was visit his tomb,' said Danielle as the couple ate dinner in a restaurant opposite the basilica. 'From the first impression, Leo seems like he'll be a good pope. We certainly need goodness right now.'
