The Carnival at Rome — Moccoletti Blaze and the Rendezvous at San Giacomo (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 36 – Part 20)

In The Count of Monte Cristo, the final night of the Carnival ignites as thousands of moccoletti fill the Corso with light. Candles flare and vanish in a constant struggle, turning the streets into a field of moving flames as voices rise and the crowd surges from the Piazza del Popolo to the Palazzo di Venezia.   At the appointed hour, Albert reaches the steps of the church of San Giacomo, where a masked peasant woman seizes his torch and leads him away through the crowd. Franz follows as far as he can before losing sight of them in the streets beyond.   The bell sounds, the lights vanish, and the Carnival ends in sudden darkness.   ⸻   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com   Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm   Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   ⸻   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.