“You can feel a bit of tension among people, even though no explicit worries are expressed,” Katia Panello from Rome told Xinhua.

“Yet, we are not scared to be here tonight, and we have not changed our daily routine in the latest months,” the woman added, as they approached the inner space where the candlelight vigil had just begun.

Her husband and her said they “absolutely did not think about not coming”.

The couple were satisfied with the measures in place: police checks were carried out thoroughly, and surveillance had been visibly stepped up, they said.

Yet, they agreed with the Italian government’s proposal that a stronger coordination of European Union (EU) security forces was needed to enhance the chance to defeat terrorism.

“I do believe European intelligence services would achieve better results by working together and sharing their knowledge,” Panello’s husband said.

Ian Smedley from Britain also felt safe enough to join the large crowd gathered around the ancient Roman amphitheatre with his partner, their baby girl, and a couple of friends from Poland.

Visiting the city as tourists, they were not discouraged by the terror alert or the security measures.

“Controls have been very good here, and police around the city were present but not obtrusive,” Smedley told Xinhua.

However, Brussels attacks that killed at least 31 people on Tuesday did leave its mark.