Chapter 57: 55: St. Peter’s Square

Spoiler Notice: This analysis reveals major plot points from Chapter 57 of An Inside Job. Read on only if you have finished the chapter.

Summary

Gabriel Allon, still publicly known from the Lampedusa incident, checks out of the Hassler and meets Veronica Marchese and Luca Rossetti at Caffè Greco. They tease him about the viral video, then walk to the Vatican for the Sunday Angelus. Veronica helps rouse Gabriel’s old friend Rossetti under her spell, while dissembling her lifelong love for Luigi Donati.

The square is packed as if for the Second Coming. Using his Swiss Guard connections, Gabriel escorts Veronica through a back entrance to the Apostolic Palace and into the crowd. They reflect on her impossible love story with Donati, a tale she knows will end tragically.

Inside, Pope Donati arrives late from Casa Santa Marta and, despite Father Keegan’s plea to stick to the script, steps to the study window. The crowd’s roar masks gunfire. The first bullet strikes the facade, the second splinters a shutter, and the third hits Donati in the chest. Panic erupts. Gabriel is momentarily trampled. When he recovers, Veronica has grappled with a slender attacker in a clerical raincoat and been shot. As the assassin aims at Gabriel, Rossetti fires twice, killing the gunman. Gabriel finds Veronica bleeding beside the dead shooter. She asks to be held, saying, “The girl doesn’t want to die alone.”

Key Events

Gabriel, Veronica, and Rossetti banter at Caffè Greco before walking through Rome to the Vatican.
A massive crowd and intense media presence greet the Angelus.
Veronica and Gabriel use a VIP shortcut through the Swiss Guard barracks and Apostolic Palace.
Donati, urged to read a prepared text, insists he may follow the Holy Spirit instead.
At the window, Donati is shot repeatedly; the first shots miss, the last fatally strikes his chest.
The crowd stampedes; Gabriel is knocked down and separated from Veronica.
Veronica wrestles the assassin but is also shot, collapsing.
The assassin turns his gun on Gabriel, but Rossetti kills him with two shots.
Gabriel reaches Veronica as she lies dying, murmuring that she does not want to be alone.

Character Development

Gabriel Allon: His reputation as a protector draws teasing, but he remains focused. He is caught in the chaos yet quickly recovers to seek Veronica, showing his resolve. The chapter ends with him helplessly comforting a dying friend.
Veronica Marchese: Her facade of flirting with Rossetti melts away during the square walk. She is revealed as a woman still deeply in love with Donati, resigned to a tragic ending. Her instinct to attack the armed assassin—without regard for her own safety—and her final words underscore her profound loyalty and sacrifice.
Luca Rossetti: Initially comic as a smitten admirer, he proves a capable protector. Without hesitation he shoots the assassin to save Gabriel, displaying the combat instincts that belie his easygoing manner.
Luigi Donati: Even knowing the danger of his reforms, Donati insists on speaking directly to the faithful, choosing spiritual authenticity over safety. His last act is stepping into the window to face that throng.
Father Keegan: Briefly seen urging caution and a scripted address, he represents the institutional pressure Donati defies.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Greatest Love Story Never Told: Veronica’s unrequited love for Donati is explicitly framed as a modern Romeo and Juliet. Her death while trying to save him seals the tragic arc.
Spectacle and Vulnerability: The “rock star pope” draws enormous crowds, but that very visibility makes him an easy target. The square’s pandemonium contrasts the holy with violent chaos.
Sacrifice and Martyrdom: Veronica’s leap at the assassin and Donati’s death are presented as sacrificial acts. The line “the girl will die alone” foreshadows her fate and cements the motif.
The Reforming Papacy: The shadow of the Vatican Bank and the phrase “poor Church” echo earlier talk of dismantling corruption. The murder suggests a violent pushback against reform.
Masked Intentions: Veronica’s cheerful dissembling about her feelings, Gabriel’s use of a Swiss Guard shortcut, and the assassin’s clerical disguise all underscore that appearances deceive.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 57 is the novel’s violent turning point. The murder of Pope Donati and the death of Veronica Marchese eliminate two central figures in a single scene and transform Gabriel’s mission from investigation to an intensely personal pursuit. The public nature of the assassination and the assassin’s clerical appearance ensure that the conspiracy stretches into the highest levels of the Church. Rossetti’s lethal response and Gabriel’s survival position them to hunt the perpetrators. Emotionally, Veronica’s final request shifts the story’s tone from intrigue to revenge, binding Gabriel to a promise that will drive the remaining chapters.

Study Questions and Answers

What clues earlier in the chapter hint that violence will erupt during the Angelus?
The unusually large crowd, the heavy media presence, Veronica’s comment that the scene feels like the Second Coming, and Gabriel’s half-joking warning that he might assault someone all create a sense of overcharged expectation. The ease with which Gabriel and Veronica slip through palace security also foreshadows vulnerabilities an attacker could exploit.
How does Veronica’s lifelong love for Donati shape her final act?
She has concealed her feelings for thirty years, accepting that they can never be together. When the assassin opens fire, her immediate instinct is not to flee but to physically wrestle the gun away, sacrificing herself for the man she still loves. Her dying plea to be held reinforces that her life was defined by that hidden devotion.
Why is Rossetti’s role in the shooting critical beyond saving Gabriel?
Rossetti’s rapid, accurate fire kills the assassin before he can shoot Gabriel and eliminates a possible source of interrogation. His action secures the scene but also eliminates a witness who might give up the larger plot. It positions Rossetti as an active protector, not just a comic sidekick, and ties him into the investigation’s next stage.