Overview
Obelisks might seem more suitable for decorating Egyptian temples than Roman squares and, indeed, many of them were brought to Rome precisely from ancient Egypt, after the conquest of the country by Augustus in 31 AD. They are now an integral part of the capital's landscape. The highest and one of the oldest is that of Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, originating from the temple of Amun in Karnak. The one in St. Peter's Square is 25.5 metres high, has no hieroglyphics and stands on the back of 4 bronze lions, arranged on the corners of the high pedestal. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that Caesar's ashes were placed at the summit in a bronze globe. In reality, a relic of the Holy Cross is enclosed at the top. It was transported by Caligula in 37 AD from Alexandria in Egypt and placed in the centre of the Circus of Nero, the racecourse where chariot races were held. Originally, the obelisks were placed in the central barrier of the circuses and marked the point where the track curved and the chariots changed direction. At first it was on the side of the basilica, until Pope Sixtus V moved it to the current site in 1586. On that occasion, the globe on its summit, now part of the Capitoline collections, was also removed.
