| |
|
Rome is by far the city with the largest number of obelisks in the world, at present thirteen. Most of them were brought from Egypt by the Roman Emperors, but many were realized in Rome using the same antique Egyptian technique and the same precious marble.
For the ancient Egyptians the obelisks had a deep religious meaning, but once in Rome they lost it to become the status symbol of the Imperial power and strength. |
During the centuries many obelisks got damaged, and only thanks to the Pope Sisto V, in the middle of the 16th century, they were restored and strategically replaced in the most beautiful places of the eternal city.
The highest and the most antique is the one in the middle of the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, initially brought in by the Emperor Costante II using a special boat and used to embelish the Circo Massimo.
The most famous one is definitely the one in the centre of Piazza San Pietro in the Vatican, brought in by the Emperor Caligola to embelish the Circo of Nerone. A famous legend tells that in the past the Romans believed that the ashes of Giulio Cesare were stored at the top of this monument.
The second most antique obelisk in Rome is the one in Piazza del Popolo, brought in by Augusto in 10 a. D. and placed in the Circo Massimo.
One more obelisk, so-called Campense, found place in Piazza Montecitorio, in front of the building which is nowadays the seat of the Italian Parliament. Another one is situated in Piazza Navona, originally placed in the middle of the area used for Roman athletic games, it is nowadays supported by the magnificence of the fountain designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. one more obelisk, dating from the 14th century B.C., is located in the centre of the magnificent Piazza del Popolo, another one is in the Piazza della Rotonda, a round square taking his name from the cylindrical shape of the Pantheon.
A small obelisk located in Villa Celimontana, dating from the age of Ramses II, is delicious but not very known, it was part of the private collection owned by the Mattei family
.Our itinerary in search of ancient obelisks goes on to Piazza Navona where, in the centre of the square, we find the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, amazingly designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini to support a magnificent obelisk, realized in the 1st century A.D. Similar to the Egyptian ones, the obelisk at the top of the steps in Piazza di Spagna, is called Sallustiano because of its original location in the Orti Sallustiani.
|
