Ancient Egyptian Obelisks
At least eight obelisks created in antiquity by the Egyptians were taken from Egypt after the Roman conquest and brought to Rome.
| Image | Height (with base) |
Name | Builder | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (32.18 m (45.70 m) |
Lateranense | Tuthmosis III / Tuthmosis IV | Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano 41°53′12.6″N 12°30′17.2″E / 41.886833°N 12.504778°E / 41.886833; 12.504778 (Lateranense) |
Tallest obelisk in Rome, and the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk in the world, weighing over 230 tons. Originally from the temple of Amun in Karnak.map Brought to Alexandria with another obelisk by Constantius II, and brought on its own from there to Rome in 357 to decorate the spina of the Circus Maximus.map Found in three pieces in 1587, restored approximately 4 m shorter by Pope Sixtus V, and erected near the Lateran Palace and basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano in 1588 in the place of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was moved to the Capitoline Hill. | |
| (25.5 m (41 m) |
Vaticano | Unknown | Saint Peter's Square 41°54′8.1″N 12°27′26.1″E / 41.902250°N 12.457250°E / 41.902250; 12.457250 (Vaticano) |
Originally raised in the Forum Iulium in Alexandriamap by the prefect Cornelius Gallus on Augustus's orders around 30–28 BC. No hieroglyphs. Brought to Rome by Caligula in 37 for the spina of the Vatican Circus.map Relocated by Pope Sixtus V in 1586 using a method devised by Domenico Fontana; the first monumental obelisk raised in the modern period, it is the only obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since Roman times. During the Middle Ages, the gilt ball on top of the obelisk was believed to contain the ashes of Julius Caesar. Fontana later removed the ancient metal ball, now in a Rome museum, that stood atop the obelisk and found only dust. Pedro Tafur in his Andanças (circa 1440) mentions that many passed between the ground and the "tower" basis "thinking it a saintly thing". | |
| (24 m (36.50 m) |
Flaminio | Seti I / Ramses II | Piazza del Popolo 41°54′38.6″N 12°28′34.8″E / 41.910722°N 12.476333°E / 41.910722; 12.476333 (Flaminio) |
Originally from Heliopolis.map Brought to Rome by Augustus in 10 BC with the Solare obelisk and erected on the spina of the Circus Maximus.map Found with the Lateranense obelisk in 1587 in two pieces and erected by Pope Sixtus V in 1589. Sculptures with lion fountains were added to the base in 1818. | |
| (21.79 m (33.97 m) |
Solare | Psammetichus II | Piazza di Montecitorio 41°54′2.5″N 12°28′43.2″E / 41.900694°N 12.478667°E / 41.900694; 12.478667 (Solare) |
Originally from Heliopolis.map Brought to Rome by Augustus in 10 BC with the Flaminio obelisk to form the gnomon of a sundial on the Campus Martius.map Found in 16th century but reburied. Rediscovered and erected by Pope Pius VI in front of the Palazzo Montecitorio in 1792. | |
| (26.34 m (14.52 m) |
Macuteo | Ramses II | Piazza della Rotonda 41°53′57.6″N 12°28′36.3″E / 41.899333°N 12.476750°E / 41.899333; 12.476750 (Macuteo) |
Originally one of a pair at the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis, the other being the now much shorter Matteiano. Moved to the Temple of Isis near Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Found in 1373 near San Macuto and erected east of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline. Moved to the front of the Pantheon by Pope Clement XI in 1711 over a fountain by Filippo Barigioni. | |
| (25.47 m (12.69 m) |
Minerveo | Apries | Santa Maria sopra Minerva 41°53′52.7″N 12°28′39.2″E / 41.897972°N 12.477556°E / 41.897972; 12.477556 (Minerveo) |
Originally one of a pair from Sais. Brought to Rome by Diocletian for the nearby Temple of Isis. Found in 1655 and erected in 1667 by Pope Alexander VII on an Elephant base by Bernini, behind the Pantheon in Piazza della Minerva. The other of the pair is in Urbino. | |
| (2? (6.34 m) |
Dogali | Ramses II | Baths of Diocletian 41°54′7.8″N 12°29′50.9″E / 41.902167°N 12.497472°E / 41.902167; 12.497472 (Dogali) |
Originally one of a pair from Heliopolis, the other now in the Boboli Gardens in Florence. Moved to the Temple of Isis in Rome. Found in 1883 by Rodolfo Lanciani near Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Now commemorates the Battle of Dogali, originally in front of Near Termini Station and moved to its present site in 1924. | |
| (22.68 m (12.23 m) |
Matteiano | Ramses II | Villa Celimontana 41°53′0.2″N 12°29′43.2″E / 41.883389°N 12.495333°E / 41.883389; 12.495333 (Matteiano) |
Originally one of a pair at the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis, the other being the Macuteo which retains much more of its original height. Moved to the Temple of Isis near Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Found in the 14th century and erected east of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline. Moved to Villa Celimontana after Michelangelo redesigned the square in the late 16th century. Lost again; fragments rediscovered and re-erected in 1820. Smallest obelisk in Rome.
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