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Walking Tours of Rome

The 'Vatican' Obelisk


Map
The 'Vatican' Obelisk, St Peter's Square, Rome
The 'Vatican' Obelisk

The Obelisco Vaticano (25.5 m), which graces the centre of Piazza di San Pietro, once stood in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, if Pliny the Elder (c. 23-79) is to be believed. The obelisk was moved to Rome in 40 CE, on the order of the emperor Caligula (r. 37-41), who had it erected on the spina of the Vatican Circus, later the site of St Peters Basilica.
plaque-marking-the-original-site-of-the-vatican-obelisk-vatican-city
Plaque Marking the Original Site of the Vatican Obelisk
​The Vatican obelisk is the only ancient obelisk to have remained standing; all of the others collapsed or were toppled. St Peter's Needle, as it came to be called, originally stood on the south side of the basilica, but in 1586 it was moved to its present position, at the behest of Pope Sixtus V (r. 1585-90).

The man who was charged with moving the obelisk (which weighs in the region of 300 tons) and re-erecting it (a task not undertaken for more than a thousand years) was the architect Domenico Fontana (1543-1607). 

The raising of  the obelisk, which took place on September 10th 1586, involved a team of 900 men and dozens of horses.
Lions at the base of the 'Vatican' Obelisk, St Peter's Square, Rome
Ancient Inscription
At its base sit four bronze lions, each of which has two bodies with intertwining tails. The lions, and the stars on their heads, are a reference to the heraldic alms of Sixtus V. There are further references at the top of the obelisk in the form of the montini and star. They replaced the gilded bronze globe, which is now in the Musei dei Conservatori. According to legend, the globe was supposed to contain the ashes of either Julius Caesar or St Peter. However, it turned out to be quite empty. At the very top of the obelisk is a cross. 

The 'Vatican' obelisk sports several inscriptions. Two ancient inscriptions at the base of the shaft proclaim: DIVO CAESARI DIVI F AVGVSTO TI CAESARI DIVI AVGVSTI F AVGVSTO SACRVM (Sacred to the Divine Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine, to Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine Augustus).
vatican-obelisk-inscription-north-face-st-peters-square-rome
North Face
The four inscriptions on the pedestal were composed by Cardinal Silvio Antoniano.

North face: SIXTVS
· V · PONT · MAX · / CRVCI INVICTAE / OBELISCVM VATICANVM / AB IMPVRA SVPERSTITIONE / EXPIATVM IVSTIVS / ET FELICIVS CONSECRAVIT / ANNO MDLXXXVI PONT II  (Sixtus V, Pontifex Maximus, consecrated to the invincible cross the Vatican obelisk, expiated of impure superstition, in the year 1586, the second of his pontificate).

At a lower level, and in smaller script, is an acknowledgement of Domenico Fontana's role: 
DOMINICVS FONTANA EX PAGO MILI / AGRI NOVOCOMENSIS TRANSTVLIT / ET EREXIT (Domenico Fontana, of the town of Mili in the territory of Como, moved and erected this).
South Face, Vatican Obelisk, St Peters Square, Rome
South Face
South face: SIXTVS · V · PONT · MAX / OBELISCVM VATICANVM / DIS GENTIVM / IMPIO CVLTV DICATVM / AD APOSTOLORVM LIMINA / OPEROSO LABORE TRANSTVLIT / ANNO M · D · LXXXVI PONT · II (Sixtus V, Pontifex Maximus, by a laborious task, transferred to the threshold of the Apostles, the Vatican obelisk, dedicated in impious reverence to the gods of the heathen, in the year 1586, the second of his pontificate).
East Face, Vatican Obelisk, St Peters Square, Rome
East Face
​East face: ECCE CRVX DOMINI / FVGITE / PARTES ADVERSAE / VICIT LEO / DE TRIBV IVDA (Behold, the Cross of the Lord. Take flight hostile ranks, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has conquered).
West Face, Vatican Obelisk, St Peters Square, Rome
West Face
West face: CHRISTVS VINCIT / CHRISTVS REGNAT / CHRISTVS IMPERAT / CHRISTVS AB OMNI MALO / PLEBEM SVAM / DEFENDAT (Christ conquers. Christ reigns. Christ commands. May Christ defend his people from all evil).

​
In 1723, at the behest of Pope Innocent XIII (r. 1721-1724), four bronze swags and four bronze crowned-eagles were added to each face of the obelisk. A crowned-eagle makes up the coat of arms of the Conti family, to which the pope belonged. 

Since 1817 the obelisk has acted as the gnomon of a large sundial. ​​

walking Tours of Rome

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    • May
    • June
    • July
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    • December
  • Churches
    • Top Ten Churches
    • Churches by Location
    • Little-known Churches
    • Cosmatesque Pavements
    • Funerary Monuments
    • Chiesa del Gesù >
      • Chapel of St Ignatius
    • Chiesa di Gesù e Maria
    • Chiesa Nuova
    • Domine Quo Vadis
    • Lateran Baptistery
    • Re Magi
    • S. Agata dei Goti
    • S. Agata in Trastevere
    • S. Agnese fuori le Mura
    • S. Agnese in Agone
    • S. Agostino
    • S. Alessio
    • S. Anastasia al Palatino
    • S. Andrea al Quirinale
    • S. Andrea della Valle
    • S. Andrea delle Fratte
    • S. Angelo in Pescheria
    • S. Anna dei Palafrenieri
    • S. Antonio dei Portoghesi
    • S. Apollinare
    • Ss. Apostoli
    • S. Balbina
    • S. Barbara dei Librai
    • S. Bartolomeo all' Isola
    • S. Benedetto in Piscinula
    • S. Bernardo alle Terme
    • S. Bibiana
    • S. Brigida
    • S. Carlo ai Catinari
    • S. Carlo al Corso
    • S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
    • S. Caterina a Magnanopoli
    • S. Caterina dei Funari
    • S. Caterina da Siena
    • S. Cecilia in Trastevere
    • Ss. Celso e Giuliano
    • S. M. in Monticelli
    • Ss. Claudio e Andrea
    • S. Clemente >
      • Cappella Castiglione
    • Ss. Cosma e Damiano
    • S. Crisogono
    • S. Costanza
    • S. Croce in Gerusalemme >
      • Chapel of St Helen
    • Ss. Domenico e Sisto
    • S. Dorotea
    • S. Eusebio
    • S. Eustachio
    • S. Francesco a Ripa >
      • Cappella Altieri
      • Cappella Rospigliosi-Pallavicini
    • S. Francesca Romana
    • S. Giacomo degli Spagnoli
    • S. Giorgio in Velabro
    • S. Giovanni a Porta Latina
    • S. Giovanni Decollato
    • S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini
    • S. Giovanni della Pigna
    • Ss. Giovanni e Paolo
    • S. Giovanni in Laterano >
      • Cappella Corsini
      • Cappella Lancellotti
    • S. Girolamo dei Croati
    • S. Girolamo della Carità >
      • Cappella Antamoro
      • Cappella Spada
    • S. Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
    • S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami
    • S. Gregorio Magno
    • S. Ignazio di Loyola
    • S. Ivo alla Sapienza
    • S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura
    • S. Lorenzo in Damaso
    • S. Lorenzo in Lucina
    • S. Lorenzo in Miranda
    • S. Lucia del Gonfalone
    • S. Luigi dei Francesi >
      • Cappella Contarelli
    • Ss. Luca e Martina
    • Ss. Marcellino e Pietro
    • S. Marcello al Corso
    • S. Marco
    • S. Maria ad Martyres
    • S. Maria ai Monti
    • S. Maria Annunziata
    • S. Maria degli Angeli
    • S. Maria dei Miracoli
    • S. Maria della Concezione
    • S. Maria del Popolo >
      • Cappella Cerasi
      • Cappella Chigi
    • S. Maria dei Sette Dolori
    • S. Maria del Priorato
    • S. Maria della Consolazione
    • S. Maria della Pace >
      • Chigi Chapel
      • Cloister of Bramante
    • S. Maria della Scala
    • S. Maria della Vittoria >
      • Cappella Cornaro
    • S. Maria delle Grazie
    • S. Maria dell' Anima
    • S. Maria dell' Orazione e Morte
    • S. Maria dell' Orto
    • S. Maria di Loreto
    • S. Maria in Aracoeli >
      • Cappella Bufalini
    • S. Maria in Aquiro
    • S. Maria in Campitelli
    • S. Maria in Cosmedin
    • S. Maria in Domnica
    • S. Maria in Monserrato
    • S. Maria in Montesanto
    • S. Maria in Traspontina
    • S. Maria in Trastevere >
      • Cappella Altemps
    • S. Maria in Trivio
    • S. Maria in Via
    • S. Maria in Via Lata
    • S. Maria Maddalena
    • S. Maria Maggiore >
      • Baptistery
      • Cappella Paolina
      • Cappella Sistina
    • S. Maria sopra Minerva >
      • Cappella Carafa
      • Chapel of the Annunciation
    • S. Maria Scala Coeli
    • S. Martino ai Monti
    • Ss. Nereo e Achilleo
    • S. Nicola da Tolentino
    • S. Nicola dei Lorenesi
    • S. Nicola in Carcere
    • Ss. Nome di Maria
    • S. Onofrio al Gianicolo
    • S. Pancrazio
    • S. Pantaleo
    • S. Paolo alla Regola
    • S. Paolo alle Tre Fontane
    • S. Paolo fuori le Mura
    • S. Pasquale Baylon
    • S. Pietro in Montorio
    • S. Pietro in Vincoli
    • S. Prassede
    • S. Prisca
    • S. Pudenziana
    • Ss. Quattro Coronati
    • S. Rita da Cascia
    • S. Rocco
    • S. Saba
    • S. Sabina >
      • Chapel of St Catherine
      • Chapel of St Hyacinth
    • S. Salvatore in Lauro
    • S. Salvatore in Onda
    • S. Sebastiano fuori le Mura >
      • Cappella Albani
    • S. Silvestro in Capite
    • S. Sisto Vecchio
    • S. Spirito in Sassia
    • S. Stanislao dei Polacchi
    • S. Stefano Rotondo
    • Ss Stimmate di San Francesco
    • Ss. Sudario dei Piemontesi
    • S. Susanna
    • Ss. Trinità degli Spagnoli
    • Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini
    • Ss. Trinità di Monti
    • Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio
    • Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio
    • S. Vitale
  • Cloisters
  • Palatine
  • Forum
    • Arch of Septimius Severus
    • Arch of Titus
    • Basilica of Maxentius
    • Curia Julia
    • Temple of Antoninus Pius
    • Temple of Castor and Pollux
    • Temple of Saturn
    • Temple of Venus and Rome
    • Temple of Vespasian and Titus
    • Temple of Vesta
  • Ancient Monuments
    • Aqueducts
    • Ara Pacis
    • Arch of Constantine
    • Arch of Drusus
    • Arch of Gallienus
    • Arch of Janus
    • Arch of the Money-Changers
    • Aurelian Walls
    • Baths of Caracalla
    • Baths of Diocletian
    • Castel Sant' Angelo
    • Catacombs of Domitilla
    • Circus Maxentius
    • Circus Maximus
    • Colosseum
    • Column of Marcus Aurelius
    • Column of Trajan
    • Forum of Augustus
    • Forum of Trajan
    • Mausoleum of Augustus
    • Nymphaeum
    • Pantheon
    • Ponte Fabricio
    • Ponte Milvio
    • Ponte Rotto
    • Ponte Sant' Angelo
    • Porta Maggiore
    • Porta San Paolo
    • Porta San Sebastiano
    • Portico of Octavia
    • Pyramid of Cestius
    • Temple of Hadrian
    • Temple of Hercules
    • Temple of Jupiter
    • Temple of Portunus
    • Theatre of Balbus
    • Theatre of Marcellus
    • Theatre of Pompey
    • Tomb of Caecilia Metella
    • Via Appia
  • Obelisks
    • 'Minerveo' Obelisk
    • 'Flaminio' Obelisk
    • 'Matteiano' Obelisk
    • 'Lateran' Obelisk
    • 'Dogali' Obelisk
    • 'Macuteo' Obelisk
    • 'Solare' Obelisk
    • 'Vatican' Obelisk
    • 'Agonalis' Obelisk
    • 'Sallustiano' Obelisk
    • 'Quirinale' Obelisk
    • 'Esquiline' Obelisk
    • 'Pinciano' Obelisk
    • 'Mediceo' Obelisk
    • 'Torlonia' Obelisks
    • 'Mussolini' Obelisk
    • 'Marconi' Obelisk
  • Mosaics
    • Sant' Agnese fuori le Mura
    • Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
    • San Clemente
    • Santa Costanza
    • Santa Francesca Romana
    • San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
    • San Marco
    • Santa Maria in Domnica
    • Santa Maria in Trastevere
    • Santa Maria Maggiore
    • Santa Prassede >
      • San Zenone
    • Santa Pudenziana
    • Santo Stefano Rotondo
    • San Teodoro
    • San Venanzio
    • Santi Cosma e Damiano
    • Santi Nereo e Achilleo
  • Palaces
    • Palazzo Barberini
    • Palazzo dei Conservatori
    • Palazzo del Quirinale
    • Palazzo della Cancelleria
    • Palazzo della Consulta
    • Palazzo delle Esposizioni
    • Palazzo Farnese
    • Palazzo Farnesina
    • Palazzo di Giustizia
    • Palazzo Laterano
    • Palazzo Madama
    • Palazzo Spada
    • Palazzo Venezia
    • Palazzo Zuccari
    • Villa Giulia
    • Villa Farnesina
    • Villa Medici
  • Galleries & Museums
    • Baths of Diocletian
    • Capitoline Museums
    • Etruscan Museum
    • Galleria Borghese
    • Galleria Colonna
    • Galleria Doria-Pamphilj
    • Palazzo Altemps
    • Palazzo Massimo
  • Piazzas
    • Campo de' Fiori
    • Piazza Augusto Imperatore
    • Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta
    • Piazza del Campidoglio
    • Piazza del Popolo
    • Piazza del Quirinale
    • Piazza della Repubblica
    • Piazza Farnese
    • Piazza Navona
    • Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II
  • Miscellaneous
    • A Calendar of Saints
    • A Literary Tour of Rome
    • Antico Caffè Greco
    • Babington's Tea Rooms
    • Barberini Bees
    • Borromini & the Baroque
    • Catacombs
    • Column of the Immaculate Conception
    • Domes
    • Equestrian Statues
    • EUR >
      • Museum of Roman Civilisation
    • Fasces
    • Flood Plaques
    • Galleria Sciarra
    • House of the Owls
    • Jewish Ghetto
    • Knights of Malta
    • Mithraism
    • Monumental Complex of S. Spirito in Sassia
    • Nolli Map of Rome
    • Ponte Sisto
    • Porta Pia
    • 'Protestant' Cemetery
    • Quartiere Coppedè
    • Scala Santa
    • Spanish Steps
    • Street Shrines
    • 'Talking' Palaces
    • 'Talking' Statues
    • Tiber Island
    • Views of Rome
    • Villa Borghese
    • Vittoriano
  • On This Day in Italy
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • The Bernini Trail
  • Baroque Sculptors
    • Alessandro Algardi
    • Pietro Bracci
    • Ercole Ferrata
    • Domenico Guidi
    • Pierre Le Gros
    • Giuseppe Mazzuoli
    • Antonio Raggi
    • Camillo Rusconi
    • Filippo della Valle
  • Florence
    • A Literary Tour
    • Anna Maria Luisa: Last of the Medici
    • Canons' Palace
    • Casa-Galleria Vichi
    • Column of Justice
    • Column of St Zenobius
    • Cosimo I de' Medici
    • Cosimo II de' Medici
    • Costanza Bonarelli
    • David With Fig Leaf
    • Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    • Equestrian Statue of Cosimo I de' Medici
    • Equestrian Statue of Ferdinando I de' Medici
    • Festina Lente
    • Flood Plaques
    • Fontana del Bacchino
    • Fontana dei Puttini
    • Fountain of Neptune
    • Fountains of the Marine Monsters
    • Gian Gastone de' Medici
    • Girolamo Savonarola
    • Images of the Annunciation
    • Little Devil
    • Monument to Cellini
    • Palazzo Bartolini-Salimbeni
    • Palazzo Bianca Cappello
    • Palazzo Fenzi
    • Palazzo Viviani
    • Perseus and Medusa
    • Piazza Santa Maria Novella
    • Pope Leo XI
    • Porta della Mandorla
    • Rape of the Sabine Woman
    • Santa Maria Novella
    • Statue of Dante
    • Theft of the Century
    • Torre del Arnolfo
    • Twelve Good Men
    • Villa Gamberaia
    • Wheel of the Innocents
    • 'Wine Windows'
  • Lazio
    • Bomarzo: Parco dei Mostri
    • Viterbo: Santa Rosa
  • Tuscany
    • Arezzo: Giorgio Vasari
    • Lucca: Puccini
    • Pistoia: Ospedale del Ceppo
    • Siena: The Balzana
    • Siena: The Palio
  • Venice
    • 421: Foundation of Venice
    • Acqua Alta
    • Bartolomeo Colleoni
    • Barque of Dante
    • Caffè Florian
    • Daniele Manin
    • Flagpoles
    • Giustina Rossi
    • Gondolas
    • Harry's Bar
    • Henry James
    • House of Three Eyes
    • Island of Lace
    • King Victor Emmanuel II
    • Map of Venice
    • Martinmas
    • Master of the House
    • Palazzo Contarini Fasan
    • Ponte Borgoloco
    • Ponte Chiodo
    • Punta del Dogana
    • Scacciadiavoli
    • Shrine of St Lucia
    • Sior Antonio Rioba
    • The 'Book Shitter'
    • The Lion's Mouth
    • Tommaso Rangone
    • Torcello
    • Venus
    • 'Viennese Oranges'
    • Wellheads
    • Winged Lions