This is one of the most frequent questions I'm asked while in the Sistine chapel. As you see in this picture the cardinals gather inside the Sistine chapel, locked inside -conclave means 'with the key- to decide whom will became the new pope. The chapel is closed ahead of time to the visitors to be ready for this important decision. The fireplace is added on the corner of the sistine chapel facing the square, to produce the smoke created by burning the paper used for each vote as to create a black smoke, in case of no election, or white if we have a new pope. The fireplace is connected by tubes to a chimney located on the roof of the chapel visible from St. Peter square. Everybody in St. Peter square wait twice a day to see the color of the smoke...
