A hushed Rome reckons with Pope Francis's death

Visitors have noticed a unique atmosphere at the Vatican in the days before Pope Francis's funeral and the conclave.

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Softly at first then louder, as if to encourage those who joined in timidly, the nuns broke into Ave Maria.

Every so often they shuffled a few inches forward, following the queue for Pope Francis's lying in state. And all the while they sang, their faces turned to St Peter's Basilica to their left, their white veils glistening under their large sun hats.

It was a fitting sight for an extraordinary week in which Rome seemed to regain its reputation as the "capital of the world" – and St Peter's Square as the centre of the Catholic universe.

There is mourning, but also recognition that the Pope, who lived to 88, died quickly and peacefully. "At least he didn't suffer," many say. Yet this isn't the time for celebration either - that will have to wait until after the funeral, when the conclave will spark the usual frenzy of excitement, intrigue and inevitable speculation.