Citizens of liberated Rome crowd. Square of St. Peter's to hear Pope Pius XII.

Citizens of liberated Rome crowd. Square of St. Peter's to hear Pope Pius XII. Hundreds of thousands of Romans gather in the square in front of St. Peter's Cathedral to hear Pope Pius XII on June 5, 1944, the day after the Italian capital was liberated from German control by Allied troops. The Pontiff, who spoke from the balcony of St. Peter's (not shown) spoke from the balcony of St. Peter's Cathedral (left). Immediately after the enemy was routed from the Eternal City, the Allies set up stations for the distribution of food and clothing to civilians made destitute under German occupatoion. Advancing U.S. and British armored columns, racinng through the Italian capital in pursuit of the Germans fleeing northward, were greeted with cheers and flowers by the Romans.