On one side of the Coelian, one of the legendary seven hills over which Rome was founded, is Villa Celimontana, once part of a villa belonging to the noble Mattei family. Its small mansion is now the see of the Italian Geographic Society, while the gardens have been turned into a public park, where a small number of roman remains, such as fragments of capitels, altars, statues, sarcophagi, lay scattered.

the obelisk in Villa Celimontana, regretfully not cared for Here stands a small Egyptian obelisk that time and carelessness have led to be quite insecure and needy of a temporary scaffolding. Actually, the 'real' obelisk is only the top part, which bears some hieroglyphs, among which the cartouche of Ramses II: as it measures merely 2.70 m or 9 ft, this is the shorterst among Rome's spires. It rests above a plain with no decorations, which is additional, and with the base makes the monument reach the overall height of 12.24 metres (40 feet). This obelisk originally stood on the Capitolium Hill, near the convent by the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli; this suggests that in Rome's early centuries it decorated the nearby Temple of Isis. In 1584 Rome's Senators (administrators) gave it to Ciriaco Mattei, who had it moved to his villa, and stood in a garden in front of the mansion. For this reason the obelisk is the only one that still bears a globe on top, probably an original Roman one, instead of a papal device. This monument is also remembered for a rather odd and gruesome accident that occurred in 1820.

(↑ above) the only surviving sphere; (↓ below) Mind your hands... too late!

In that year, the villa was purchased by prince Emanuele Godoi. The obelisk had become unsteady, and the new owner decided to move it to a different spot of his estate, i.e. its present location. The operation took place with great pomp, and a public ceremony was held on this occasion.
One of the workers in charge was probably removing some gravel from the stand where the pillar, suspended just above, would have soon been rested, when the ropes holding the obelisk suddenly broke; the enormous mass came down, amputating the poor man's hands ...which should still be there, crushed under the obelisk's base!

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the obelisk over the elephant drawn by Bernini	A small obelisk about 5.47 metres in size (18 feet) stands in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva's church, behind the Pantheon, resting over the elephant statue drawn by Bernini, popularly known as 'Minerva's chick' (fully described in the Curious and Unusual section), which turns the size of the monument more than double, 12.69 m (41.5 ft). The spire dates back to the 6th century BC. It was found in the second half of the 1600s, buried in a garden belonging to the Dominican convent by the church, very close to where the Temple of Isis stood. coat of arms of Alexander VII

The ruling pope, Alexander VII, has it raised on this spot, as once an ancient temple dedicated to goddess Minerva stood nearby. The eight-pointed star, from the pope's coat of arms, was placed at the top.

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the obelisk in front of the Pantheon	Almost adjoining the previous obelisk, a slightly taller one (6.34 m or 21 ft) faces the opposite side of the Pantheon, resting above a late Renaissance fountain (total height of the monument: 14.53 m or 47.5 ft). The spire, though, is much older than the fountain, than the Pantheon and than the previous obelisk too: its hieroglyphs mention pharaoh Ramses II, who lived in the 13th century BC. Found in 1374 by the church of San Macuto, not far from the Pantheon and virtually matching the site where the Temple of Isis stood, it was unearthed and raised by the same church, where it stood up to 1711.	the obelisk in front of San Macuto's church (mid 1500s)

the cartouches of Ramses II (centre) and of his son Merneptah	Once called by the common people 'the spire of mammautte, a corruption of the church's name, still today the obelisk is sometimes referred to as the Macuteo. When it was moved to its present location, a special base decorated with a group of rocks was also added to the fountain; this composition was very likely inspired by Bernini's Fountain of the Rivers (see next paragraph), finished about half a century earlier, whose innovative design had been very successful among the people. Alexander VII added his coat of arms to the base; one of his devices, a star, is also featured by obelisk's top element, identical to that of the previous obelisk.	the top element with the device of pope Clement XI

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A fourth spire, curiously topped by a star, can be seen on the former site of the Baths of Diocletian, in front of the Roman National Museum. It was the last obelisk to be found in Rome, unearthed by the famous archaeologist Lanciani in 1883, by the old site of the Iseum. By that time, the Papal State had already fallen: a star was chosen as a top element for the monument.

the obelisk by the Baths of Diocletian	The obelisk is 6.34 m (29 ft) tall. It features hieroglyphs that mention Ramses II along its shaft, and rests over a small monument in memory of the Italian soldiers who fell in the Battle of Dogali (Ethiopia, 1887), not long after the spire was found. It was originally located in the large square in front of the central Termini train station, where it was set in the late 1800s, after being found on the original site of the temple. In 1925, due to alterations, both the spire and the memorial were shifted some 200 metres (or yards) off the square, to the spot where it presently stands.	the cartouche of Ramses II can be seen on the shaft

the spire in front of the old station in a vintage picture (c.1900)	.   · 9 ·   . A twin of the aforesaid spire was once kept in the garden of Villa Medici, the see of the French Academy in Rome on top of the Pincio Hill. The beautiful mansion was developed into its present shape by cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici (late 16th century), who was fond of ancient art and whose collection included several samples of archaeological findings, among which the obelisk.

After his death, the villa was scarsely cared for by his heirs, and ended up being bought by the French government. The ancient items of the collection were moved, including the obelisk, which was taken to Florence in 1790, where it is still now. A copy of the spire was made in the 1800s, as a replacement. part I part III part IV	the copy of the obelisk in Villa Medici's garden