To Japanese

Location: Rome, Italy  Height: 2.68 meter Weight: unknown   Red granite

The obelisks of the Piazza della Rotunda and of the Villa Celimontana once formed a pair erected by Ramesses II at Heliopolis.  They were brought to Rome to be erected in Iseum, the Temple of Isis.

In the 14th century, the Celimontana obelisk reappeared on the Capitoline Hill.  In 1582, the city of Rome gave the obelisk to Ciriaco Mattei, a nobleman of the city and a collector of antiquities.  During the Napolionic Wars, the obelisk was relocated to the garden in the Mattei's residence, which is now known as the Villa Celimontana.

Only the upper part of the obelisk, some 2.68 meters  remains.

When I visited Rome in May 1991, it was under renovation as you can see in the photograph.

[ Heliopolis ] [ Tuthmosis I ] [ Hatshepsut ] [ Istanbul ] [ Laterano ] [ London ] [ New York ] [ Luxor ] [ Philae ] [ Paris ] [ Popolo ] [ Rotunda ] [ Boboli ] [ Terme ] [ Vatican ] [ El Ghezira ] [ Celimontana ] [ Sethos II ] [ Citorio ] [ Minerva ] [ Esquilino ] [ Quirinale ] [ Navona ] [ Spanish Steps ] [ Pincio ] [ Rosetta Stone ] [ Champollion ] [ Unfinished Obelisk ]