Vatican Obelisk
The Vatican Obelisk is one of Rome’s ancient wonders, an Egyptian red granite needle standing 25.3 meters tall with a bronze-lion-lined base, crowned in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. It’s the sole ancient obelisk in Rome that’s never fallen, a remarkable feat that helped prove Rome’s engineering prowess. The obelisk originally stood at the Forum Iulii of Alexandria before arriving in Rome, likely via Caligula in 40 AD, and it was first placed at the center of the Circus of Nero, where a necropolis later grew surrounding it. In the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V orchestrated a dramatic relocation, moving the obelisk 260 meters in a single day on September 10, 1586. Domenico Fontana directed the massive operation, supported by 800 men, 160 horses, and 45 winches, marking the first major revival of Rome’s obelisks in modern times. …
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