SALLUST OBELISK

OBELISCO SALLUSTIANO

Piazza Trinità dei Monti

It is an ancient Roman obelisk made in imitation of the Egyptian ones, dating back to the imperial period, maybe to the time of Aurelian (270/275), with hieroglyphics, which the Romans imitated from those of the Flaminium Obelisk

It comes from the Horti Sallustiani (Gardens of Sallust) where perhaps used to adorn the central section of a private circus (hippodrome), the Porticus Miliarensis

The knowledge of the Egyptian language was obviously rough at the time, as some hieroglyphs are engraved upside down

It was erected here in 1789 by Giovanni Antinori (1734/92) for Pius VI Braschi (1775/99)

The original base of the obelisk is in the garden of the Capitoline Hill to the left of the Senatorial Palace where it was arbitrarily transformed into an “Altar of the dead fascist” during the fascist period

LATERAN OBELISK

OBELISCO LATERANENSE

Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano

Erected for Pharaoh Thutmose III (1457/1424 BC) and his nephew Thutmose IV (1398/1388 BC), both mentioned in the inscription, at Thebes in front of the Temple of Ammon in about 1400 BC

At the time of Moses it was already about 200 years old and it stood in front of the Temple of Ammon for about 1700 years in total

It was brought to Rome by Constantius II (337/361) in 357 and placed in the Circus Maximus

Originally Constantine (306/337), Costantius II's father, had it moved from Thebes and taken to Alexandria to be eventually transported to Constantinople, but after his death, Constantius II changed the destination

It was found at 7 m (23 feet) deep in the Circus Maximus and transported to the Lateran by Domenico Fontana (1543/1607) on August 3, 1588 after a year of work in place of the statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback that had been moved to the Capitol

It is the oldest (if one does not consider the Vatican Obelisk that maybe dates back to 1990 BC) and the highest in Rome: 32.18 m (105.5 feet) and, including the basement, 47 m (154 feet) for a weight of 230 tons (253 tons)

Part of the inscription informs that the obelisk remained in production for thirty years “in the hands of the workers” at the side of the temple of Ammon at Thebes

A small section of the base is still in the center of the Circus Maximus

FLAMINIUM OBELISK

OBELISCO FLAMINIO

Piazza del Popolo

Erected for Pharaoh Ramses II (1297/1213 BC) and his son Mineptah at Heliopolis in Egypt in about 1250 BC

It is 23.30 m (76 feet) high

It was brought to Rome by Augustus and placed in the center of the Circus Maximus in 10 BC

The inscription still on the base remembers the dedication of the obelisk that Augustus made to the Sun

It was found in 1587 at the center of the Circus Maximus broken in three and it was restored and moved to Piazza del Popolo by Domenico Fontana (1543/1607) in 1589 for Sixtus V Peretti (1585/90)

When it was moved to Piazza del Popolo an inscription was engraved on the side facing the church of S. Maria del Popolo in opposition to the Augustan one: “Most august and more glad I rise before the sacred temple of her virginal womb from which during the reign of Augustus the Sun of Justice was born”

It was decorated in 1823 with the basins and the fake Egyptian lions by Giuseppe Valadier (1762/1839) who replaced the previous fountain by Giacomo Della Porta

MINERVA'S OBELISK

OBELISCO DELLA MINERVA

Piazza della Minerva

About 500 BC, built for Apries, Pharaoh mentioned in the Bible as Ofra (Jer. 44.30)

5.47 m (17.9 feet) High, 12.96 m (42.5 feet) with the base

It was found in 1665 in the area of the Iseum Campensis (Temple of Isis) to the decoration of which it probably belonged

Elephant sculpted in 1667 by Ercole Ferrata (1610/86) on a design and idea by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) inspired by Alexander VII Chigi (1755/67)

It is commonly called “Pulcin della Minerva” (chick of Minerva) for a refined corruption of the original nickname: in the eighteenth century it was called “Porcin della Minerva” (pig of Minerva) for its vague resemblance to a hog and for the Romans' unfamiliarity with elephants at the time

FOUNTAIN OF THE RIVERS

FONTANA DEI FIUMI

Piazza Navona

1649/51 Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) who won the favor of Pope Innocent X Pamphili (1644/55) after a difficult period in his career

The pope was also an admirer of the great Francesco Borromini (1599/1667), Bernini's great rival, but ousted, with this work, from the role of pope's favorite architect

Borromini had directed and designed the work for the pipes that connected the Aqua Virgo aqueduct from the area where the Trevi Fountain is now to Piazza Navona and had been appointed architect of the fountain. He was therefore doubly disappointed at the choice of Pope Innocent X who supplanted him with his rival whom he also blamed for stealing his idea of using allegories of rivers for the fountain

NORTH-EAST

"Nile" (Africa) by Giacomo Antonio Fancelli (1619/71)

The face is covered to indicate that the sources were unknown at the time

NORTH-WEST

"Rio de la Plata" (America) by Francesco Baratta (about 1590/about 1663)

The face of an incongruous black African goes to show the little knowledge of American ethnic groups at the time. The coins symbolize the wealth of the new world. The actual longest river in the world, the Amazon was not chosen because it had become a recent colonial possession of Portugal, a big enemy of Spain which had close relations with the Pamphilj family. In 1640 Portugal had rebelled against a Spanish rule that had lasted for 60 years

SOUTH-EAST

"Ganges" (Asia) by Claude Poussin (active since 1644/d. 1661)

The oar indicates that it was almost entirely navigable

SUTH-WEST

"Danube" (Europe) by Ercole Antonio Raggi (1624/86)

His hand holds the papal coat of arms, being the only continent entirely Christian

"The number of fountains created by Bernini is relatively small, but the greater was its effect. Contemporaries were fascinated not only by his new, truly poetic use of realistic elements as rocks, shells and natural products, but also by his revolutionary way of treating the water itself. Because he replaced the traditional thin jets of water with an exuberant and powerful harnessing of the elements. It was the constant movement of water roaring and murmuring, which helped Bernini to fulfill the dream he had long caressed: to create true movement and pulsating life. Throughout the arrangement of the fountain there is a manifest reference to the rivers of Paradise at the foot of the mountain on which the Cross stands. This monument of the triumph of Catholic victory therefore also contains the idea of salvation of humanity under the sign of the cross" (Rudolf Wittkower)

Animals, plants and rocks were painted by Guidobaldo Abbatini (1600/56), the faithful painter collaborator of Bernini, with colors later completely disappeared. This fact makes us wonder about Bernini's continuous interest and research, in this work as well, for an authentic blend of architecture, sculpture and painting in a single baroque phantasmagoria

OBELISCO AGONALE (Agonale Obelisk)

Height 16.53 m (54 feet)

With fountain, base and dove on top it is more than 30 meters (95 feet) high

It is a Roman imitation from the time of Domitian (81/96) of an Egyptian obelisk. Domitian's name is written in hieroglyphics

It was originally placed in the ISIS CAMPENSIS (the Temple of Isis, the Egyptian goddess near the Pantheon) or maybe, some say, in his villa at Albano

Filippo Coarelli and Jean-Claude Grenier believe it comes originally from the TEMPLUM GENTIS FLAVIAE which was located on Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, where the Octagonal Hall or Minerva Hall, former Planetarium is now

It was moved by Maxentius in 311 (306/312) to the center of the circus in his villa of the same name

It has been proved that it wasn't originally at the center of the Stadium of Domitian as some say

It was broken into four pieces when it was found