Rome has the biggest number of obelisks in the world. The reason is quite simple, the Roman Emperors, especially Augustus, decided to bring them to Rome. Almost all of the obelisks are from Egypt. This monuments, as you can as on the photos below, are very high and narrow, built with one big stone. Sometimes the Egyptians put on the obelisks a lot of inscriptions and hieroglyphics. The obelisks of Rome were always located in very important places: squares, near churches, etc.
The obelisks are the part of the Eternal City also today. But, which obelisk is the tallest one?
Without any doubts the one located in the square of St. John Lateran. It is 32 meters high and comes from Assuan in Egypt. It was made fifteen centuries B.C. and it was transported to Rome in 360 A.C. by Constantine. For two centuries it was standing at the Circo Massimo until it was damaged by barbarians in the fifth century. From this moment many archaeologists were trying to find it. Finally, they did it in 1587. The monument spent ten centuries being four meters under the ground. The obelisk was renovated and placed in the square in front of the Lateran Basilica. Why there? The Lateran Basilica was the seat of pope and the archaeologist worked for the pope Sixtus V.
Other famous obelisk is in Vatican. Now it is in the central part of the square but many centuries ago it was situated behind the Basilica, exactly where Saint Peter was crucified.
In Rome there is also another obelisk with an interesting history. It stands in front of the beautiful medieval church Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It's worth seeing because in Rome we have very few medieval churches. Some of them were damaged, other ones were rebuilt in a different architectural style.
Bernini was asked to made a special base for the monument. When he started his work in 1667, many monks of the order of Dominicans were coming and saying what they didn't like or what they would change in the sculpture, particularly in the head of the elephant . The author definitely didn't like it and decided to put the obelisk back to the windows of monks. Thanks to this they didn't have to see the sculpture they hadn't liked. Instead of that they could see the rump of the elephant.
Bernini made also the famous fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona which contains an obelisk.
The other famous ones stand in Piazza del Popolo and in front of the Pantheon.
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In Rome there are much more obelisks and everyone has its own history.
Just think that for Ancient Romans obelisks were very very old.
These monuments were for theme the same age as the Arc of Constantine for us today!
