Cardinals fail to elect new pope on first day of conclave at Vatican

Plumes of black smoke emerged last night from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, signalling that the 133 cardinals sealed off inside had failed to elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave.

- Angela Giuffrida

After the formal procession to the chapel and each of the cardinals swearing an oath to secrecy, the first voting round only got under way at about 5.45pm local time. Then all eyes were on the famous chimney, which was diligently guarded by a gull for some of the time the cardinals were voting.

After a tense wait, black smoke finally appeared at 9.05pm - to loud applause from the crowd of more than 45,000 below.

The conclave will continue today, and end only when a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month aged 88, is found.

St Peter's Square was filled with pilgrims and tourists, even though the pope was not expected to be elected on the first day.

Cinzia Caporali and her husband, from Tuscany, had come to Rome to visit Francis's tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in the Esquilino neighbourhood. Caporali recalled being in Rome when Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI, was elected in April 2005. The conclave that chose Joseph Ratzinger was over in less than 36 hours, one of the fastest papal elections in a century.