OBELISK AT PIAZZA DELL'ESQUILINO

This obelisk is one of the pair, the companion is in Piazza del Quirinale. The heights of the both obelisks in Piazza dell'Esquilino and in Piazza del Quirinale are almost same. The obelisk in Piazza dell'Esquilino is higher only 11 cm (4 inches).

Probably in the late 1st century, the pair of obelisk was transported from Egypt, in order to decorate the town of Rome. At some unknown date and by some unknown cause, the obelisk fell. In 1519 and in 1781, two obelisks were discovered underground the entrance of the Great Tomb of Emperor Augustus [Mausoleo di Augusto]. The former one was re-erected here in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V [reigned 1585-1590], and the latter one is now in the Piazza del Quirinale.

There is no inscription on these obelisks and the one in Vatican City as well. Therefore, I suppose this obalisk is a replica by Romans.

Note: Both Piazza dell'Esquilino Obelisk and Piazza del Quirinale Obelisk can be seen if you are at the crossing of Four Fountains (Quattro Fontane). In addition, Sallustian Obelisk (Trinita dei Monti Obelisk) also can be seen from here. Namely, three obelisks can be seen from this point.

Stats:

Location: Piazza dell'Esquilino, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Probably a replica by Romans
Height: 14.75 meters

OBELISK AT PIAZZA NAVONA

This obelisk is not from the ancient Egypt, but this was created at Aswan (Upper Egypt, 640 km south of Cairo) by the order of Roman Emperor Domitianus in 1st Century. The name of Domitianus is inscribed with hieroglyphs on this obelisk. From the scene in which a goddess presents the Double Crown to the emperor, it seems that the obelisk was intended for the accession of Domitianus in A.D. 81.

This was carried to Rome and erected between the Serapeum Temple (The temple for the Greco-Egyptian god Serapius) and the Iseum Temple (The temple for the Egyptian goddess Isis), and remained there until early 4th Century when Emperor Maxentius [reigned 306-312] moved it to the Circo di Massenzio. Circo di Massenzio is the grand stadium for chariot race, which was built by the Emperor for the memory of his son Romulus. Since Romulus passed away in around 309, and the Emperor passed away in 312, the obelisk is supposed to have transported to here between 309-312. It was along Ancient Appian Road [Via Appia Antica], 2.8 km south of Porta San Sebastiano, Rome, and the vast site still remains.

At some unknown date, the obelisk was toppled and broken into a few pieces. The famous Pope Sixtus V [reigned 1585-1590] knew about this, but it was lower priority for restoration.

Finally, in 17th Century, Pope Innocentius X [reigned 1644-1655] decided to re-erect it in Piazza Navona in commemoration of his election. Because he had lived in the building which faces the Piazza Navona. He planned to create a fountain, and put the obelisk on it. An architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini [or Gianlorenzo Bernini, 1598-1680] wanted to undertake this project, and aggressively appealed his design to the Pope. Then the appointment was made to him on April 11th, 1647. The fountain is called the Fountain of the Four Rivers [Fontana dei Fiumi]. The four rivers of the then-known continents are represented by personifications - The Danube (representing Europe), The Ganges River (representing Asia), The Nile River (representing Africa), The Rio della Plata (representing Americas). This Four Rivers Fountain is one of Bernini's most celebrated works, and also one of typical masterpiece of the Baroque. The pieces of obelisk were assembled, and the dove [a symbol of the Pope family], instead of a Christian cross, was put at the apex, and then the obelisk topped on the Fountain. The entire work was completed in spring 1651.

The high cost of the project caused the tax increase, and resulted in loud protests against the Pope and his family. However, now this memorial is one of the most interested spots in Rome, and the source of endless admiration. You should appreciate this Baroque heritage.

Stats:

Location: Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: None
Height: 16.54 meters
Stone: Red granite

OBELISK AT ST. PETER'S SQUARE

This obelisk, like two others in Rome, is uninscribed, and no one knows where it originally came from or who created it. It is known that Emperor Augustus ordered it erected in the Julian Forum in Alexandria, where it stayed until A.D. 37. That year, the Emperor Caligula had it removed to the Vatican Circus in Rome. According to the Egyptologist Labib Habachi, "Legend has it that in the Vatican Circus innumerable Christians, including St. Peter, were put to death and that the reason this obelisk was not later overturned as were all the others in Rome was that it was looked upon as the last witness to the martyrdom of St. Peter."

In the 16th century, the Pope Sixtus V directed the obelisk to be re-erected in the collonnaded square before the Basilica of St. Peter, where it remains to this day. During its relocation, workers carefully inspected the metal globe that had stood atop the obelisk since Roman times. They were looking for the remains of Caesar, which were reputedly cached there, but they found only dust. After the successful re-erection, triumphant Romans carried the chief engineer, Domenico Fontana, on their shoulders all the way to his home.

Stats:

Location: St. Peter's Square, Vatican, Rome
Pharaoh: Unknown
Height: 83 feet
Weight: 331 tons

OBELISK AT PIAZZA DEL POPOLA

Seti I decorated three sides of this obelisk, while his son Ramses II carved the fourth and erected the obelisk in the sun temple at Heliopolis, a capital of ancient Egypt. In inscriptions on one side of the monolith, Seti I describes himself as "the one who fills Heliopolis with obelisks that their rays may illuminate the Temple of Re." Ramses II, one of history's greatest self-aggrandizers, styled himself as one who made "monuments as innumerable as the stars of heaven. His works join the sky. When Re shines, he rejoices because of [the obelisks] in his temple of millions of years."

In 10 B.C., the obelisk was re-erected at the Circus Maximus in Rome to celebrate Augustus' conquest of Egypt. Sometime later it toppled, to be resurrected in the 16th century under Pope Sixtus V. In 1589, it became the centerpiece of the Piazza del Popola in Rome, where three major avenues of the city converge.

Stats:

Location: Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Seti I (reigned 1318-1304 B.C.)
Height: 75 feet
Weight: 263 tons