Ancient Roman Obelisks
At least five obelisks were manufactured in Egypt in the Roman period at the request of the wealthy Romans, or made in Rome as copies of ancient Egyptian originals.
| Image | Height (with base) |
Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (16.53 m (30+ m) |
Agonalis | Piazza Navona 41°53′56.3″N 12°28′23.1″E / 41.898972°N 12.473083°E / 41.898972; 12.473083 (Agonalis) |
A copy commissioned by Domitian and erected at the Temple of Serapis. Moved to the Circus of Maxentius by Maxentius. The Earl of Arundel paid a deposit and attempted to ship the four pieces to London in the late 1630s but Urban VIII disallowed its export.
Erected on top of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi by Bernini in 1651. |
|
| (14.63 m (28.94 m) |
Quirinale | Piazza del Quirinale 41°53′56.7″N 12°29′11.9″E / 41.899083°N 12.486639°E / 41.899083; 12.486639 (Quirinale) |
Originally erected on the eastern flank of the Mausoleum of Augustus, paired with the Esquiline obelisk. Found in 1527. Erected by Pope Pius VI in 1786 on the Quirinal Hill next to statues of the Dioscuri (called the 'Horse Tamers') from the Baths of Constantine. | |
| (14.75 m (25.53 m) |
Esquiline | Piazza dell'Esquilino 41°53′53.4″N 12°29′51″E / 41.898167°N 12.4975°E / 41.898167; 12.4975 (Esquiline) |
Originally erected on the western flank of the Mausoleum of Augustus, paired with the Quirinale obelisk. Found in 1527 and erected in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V behind Santa Maria Maggiore. | |
| (13.91 m (30.45 m) |
Sallustiano | Trinità dei Monti 41°54′22.1″N 12°28′59.6″E / 41.906139°N 12.483222°E / 41.906139; 12.483222 (Sallustiano) |
Above the Spanish Steps. An Aurelian copy, although smaller, of the Flaminio obelisk of Ramses II in the Piazza del Popolo, for the Gardens of Sallust. Found by the Ludovisi and moved to the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano in 1734, but kept horizontal. Erected in 1789 by Pope Pius VI. | |
| (19.24 m (17.26 m) |
Pinciano | Pincian Hill 41°54′38.9″N 12°28′47.1″E / 41.910806°N 12.47975°E / 41.910806; 12.47975 (Pinciano) |
Commissioned by Hadrian and erected in Tivoli for the tomb of Antinous. Moved to Rome by Elagabalus to decorate the spina of the Circus Varianus. Found in the 16th century near the Porta Maggiore. Moved to the Palazzo Barberini, then moved to the Vatican by Pope Clement XIV; finally erected on the Pincian by Pope Pius VII in 1822. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Obelisks In Rome
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