Roman Monographs - Obelisks (part III)

~ Roman Monographs ~

Obelisks
· part III ·

ROMAN OBELISKS

10 · AGONAL OBELISK

alternative names: obelisk of Domitian, Pamphilian obelisk
In one of Rome's best known sites, piazza Navona, an obelisk stands on the most noble base that a monument ever had: the famous Fountain of the Rivers, one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's masterpieces of Baroque sculpture (see Curious and Unusual page 3 for details).

overall view of the obelisk on the famous Fountain of the Rivers by Bernini	Although it looks very similar to the previous spires, the monument was carved and inscribed with hieroglyphs locally, by the late 1st century AD, in the same fashion of the ones taken to Rome from the north African colony. The obelisk measures 16.54 metres (54 ft), and with the famous base it reaches 30.17 m (99 ft). It was carved using granite coming from Egypt. It had been commissioned by emperor Domitian (AD 81-96), whose name is mentioned on the shaft as "living image of Ra". It once decorated the courtyard of the Iseum-Serapeum (described in page 2). In 311, emperor Maxentius moved the obelisk to the circus (i.e. a hippodrome) that was part of his private suburban estate, located outside the city, by the third mile of the Appian way, where chariot races used to be held.	the hieroglyphs were carved in Rome and some of them have a slightly fancy shape

In ancient times piazza Navona too was a stadium, built by emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) for holding athletic competitions, ludi agonales in Latin, whence the name agonal given to the place.

the Circus of Maxentius in the mid 1500s: the obelisk lay broken in the middleof the arena	After the fall of the Roman empire, both stadiums were left in a state of abandonment, until they disappeared. The arena of the agonal stadium, for centuries left as a plain open place, by the end of the 1400s started to grow into the present plaza. When by the mid 1600s Bernini built there his famous fountain, he decided to raise on its top the obelisk that, in those days, lay broken among the ruins of the circus of Maxentius. Therefore, Bernini's choice was not simply one of his whims: the spire represented an ideal connection to the old arena, but also to emperor Domitian, who had sponsored the making of both the stadium and the monument.

the Circus of Maxentius in the mid 1500s: the obelisk lay broken in the middleof the arena

After the fall of the Roman empire, both stadiums were left in a state of abandonment, until they disappeared. The arena of the agonal stadium, for centuries left as a plain open place, by the end of the 1400s started to grow into the present plaza. When by the mid 1600s Bernini built there his famous fountain, he decided to raise on its top the obelisk that, in those days, lay broken among the ruins of the circus of Maxentius. Therefore, Bernini's choice was not simply one of his whims: the spire represented an ideal connection to the old arena, but also to emperor Domitian, who had sponsored the making of both the stadium and the monument.

On the monument's pyramidion the Roman emperor is featured as a seated pharaoh, flanked by two female divinities, one of whom, goddess Hator, presents him with the double crown of the Upper and Lower Egypt.
Instead, The bronze element above the obelisk has the shaoe of a dove that carries an olive tree branch: this is the heraldic device of the Pamphilj, the family whom pope Innocent X, the sponsor of Bernini's work, belonged to, whence the alternative name of this spire.

the Circus of Maxentius today	↑ the pyramidion of the obelisk features Domitian the Pamphilj device at the top of the monument →

11 · SALLUSTIAN OBELISK

alternative names: lunar obelisk, obelisk of the Garden of Sallust

the obelisk atop the Spanish Steps	Another Egyptian-like roman obelisk is the one at the top of the famous Spanish Steps, in piazza Trinità dei Monti. It measures 13.9 m (45.5 ft), resting on a base as tall as the spire itself (total height: 30.45 m or 100 ft). It is known as Sallustian obelisk because it was found in the area once occupied by the gardens named after Sallust (tribune and historian, 1st century BC), where it was built likely under emperor Aurelianus (c.270) as a decoration for the local hippodrome (Circus Sallustianus). After the fall of the Roman empire, it collapsed and broke into two pieces. It is mentioned by a late 1400s work as laying in a cane field outside Salaria Gate. Sixtus V had intention to move the spire to the area by the Baths of Diocletian, but he died before this this project could be carried out. In the 1600s, the Ludovisi family became the owners of the land where the fragments of the monument were still lying; about one century later (1722) they gave the broken monument to pope Clement XII. Once restored, it was moved to the grounds by St.John in the Lateran's basilica, Rome's cathedral. But its small size clashed with the imposing Lateran obelisk, which already stood there, made the new location unsuitable. So the small spire was simply set aside for another half century, before being moved in two parts to its present location by pope Pius VI, on April 18 and 20, 1789.

the obelisk atop the Spanish Steps

Another Egyptian-like roman obelisk is the one at the top of the famous Spanish Steps, in piazza Trinità dei Monti. It measures 13.9 m (45.5 ft), resting on a base as tall as the spire itself (total height: 30.45 m or 100 ft). It is known as Sallustian obelisk because it was found in the area once occupied by the gardens named after Sallust (tribune and historian, 1st century BC), where it was built likely under emperor Aurelianus (c.270) as a decoration for the local hippodrome (Circus Sallustianus).
After the fall of the Roman empire, it collapsed and broke into two pieces. It is mentioned by a late 1400s work as laying in a cane field outside Salaria Gate.
Sixtus V had intention to move the spire to the area by the Baths of Diocletian, but he died before this this project could be carried out.
In the 1600s, the Ludovisi family became the owners of the land where the fragments of the monument were still lying; about one century later (1722) they gave the broken monument to pope Clement XII. Once restored, it was moved to the grounds by St.John in the Lateran's basilica, Rome's cathedral. But its small size clashed with the imposing Lateran obelisk, which already stood there, made the new location unsuitable. So the small spire was simply set aside for another half century, before being moved in two parts to its present location by pope Pius VI, on April 18 and 20, 1789.

Its top element features a lily (or fleur-de-lys) and a star, connected by a tiny pine-cone; the fleur-de-lys is the heraldic device of the king of France, who sponsored the making of the church of Trinità dei Monti, in front of which the obelisk stands.
It has hyeroglyphs along its shaft, somewhat roughly carved, which in ancient Roman times were copied from the ones of the Egyptian obelisk in the Circus Maximus (now in piazza del Popolo, see page 1); but the stone mason, who ignored their meaning, carved a few upside down!
In the past centuries it was wrongly believed to be related in some way to the lunar cult, ad it was therefore called 'the lunar spire'.
Its base was found only in 1843. In 1926, at the beginning of the Fascist regime, it was set on the Capitolium Hill, between Senators' Palace and the Aracoeli church (i.e. the same spot where once the obelisk now in villa Celimontana stood, see page 2), as a memorial dedicated to those who had died in the taking of Rome. After the end of the dictatorship, it was moved into its present location, turning it upside down so to cancel any residual memory of its previous dedication.

(↑ above) the top element; the copied glyphs (right →) are much rougher than the ones found on Egyptian obelisks

12 · PINCIAN OBELISK

alternative names: obelisk of Antinous, Hadrian's obelisk

		A similar Roman obelisk can be seen in the public gardens that stretch over the Pincian Hill, in the middle of an avenue named after the monument, viale dell'Obelisco. Emperor Hadrian had it carved in the 2nd century AD in memory of his young lover Antinous, who had drowned in the river Nile, and by whose memorial monument the spire was erected. About one century later, emperor Helagabalus had it moved for decorating the spine the Circus Varianus, a stadium which belonged to the imperial complex that included also the Sessorium (i.e. the imperial residence) and the Amphiteatrum Castrensis (see Aurelian's Walls, part II page 3), and was located off Porta Maggiore in the area called ad Spes Veterem, south-east of the set of walls. Here it fell and, as the other spires, it remained buried until 1570. In 1632, pope Urban VIII had it taken in front of his family mansion, Palazzo Barberini, whose making was in progress; but since it hindered the passage of carriages, it was never erected and, in the second half of the following century, his descendants gave it away to the ruling pope of the time, Clement XIV. ← the obelisk in the Pincian Gardens

He kept it in the Cortile della Pigna (the large courtyard now part of the Vatican Museums), where it stayed up to 1822, when a third pope, Pius VII, decided to move the spire to its present location; on this occasion, his coat of arms (below) was carved on the base of the monument.

The bronze element at the top may refer either to Clement XIV or to Pius VII, as hills and stars are featured in the coats of arms of both popes. The spire is 9.25 m (30.5 ft) tall, and the monument, including the base and the top element, reaches 17.25 m (56.5 ft).	coat of arms of Pius VII

13 - 14 · LIBERIAN AND QUIRINAL OBELISKS

	Two more Roman obelisks are almost 'twins'. They are much taller than the ones described so far, and they stand on the top of two different hills, the Esquiline and the Quirinal. They are the couple of spires that once decorated the entrance of the monumental tomb of emperor Octavian Augustus (who died in AD 14) and his family, in the Campus Martius plains (see Campo Marzio, in The Rioni section). ← one of the obelisks (blue arrow) still lies broken along the street next to the large round tomb (1577)

Two more Roman obelisks are almost 'twins'. They are much taller than the ones described so far, and they stand on the top of two different hills, the Esquiline and the Quirinal. They are the couple of spires that once decorated the entrance of the monumental tomb of emperor Octavian Augustus (who died in AD 14) and his family, in the Campus Martius plains (see Campo Marzio, in The Rioni section).

← one of the obelisks (blue arrow) still lies broken
along the street next to the large round tomb (1577)

Some believe that they had not been set there originally, when the tomb was built, as they were never mentioned in literature before the second half of the 1st century, suggesting that they may have been added to the complex some fifty years after its making, or even more.
During the Middle Ages, they lay broken nearby; pope Leo X (1513-21) had one of them unearthed and dragged to the nearby street that runs parallel to the river (above left), where it is featured in some Renaissance maps, still in pieces.

(↑ above) the obelisk at the back of St. Mary the Major and its almost twin by Quirinal Palace (right →)

Sixtus V used this obelisk for decorating the square at the back of the basilica of St.Mary the Major (above left). The erection took place on July 28, 1587. Why he decided to privilege the rear of the church rather than the front may depend on the fact that this square marked the end of the long and straight via Felice, opened by the pope to connect the Pincian Hill and the Esquiline Hill, and named after his first name. Another likely reason is that on this same spot was the main entrance of Villa Montalto, a vast estate belonging to Sixtus V himself.
About two hundred years later, in 1786, pope Pius VI moved the second obelisk to the square in front of Quirinal Palace, the summer residence of the popes.

	Here the spire, resting on a tall travertine base, stands behind a large round basin of roman age used as a fountain, and is flanked by two huge statues of Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri, twin sons of Jupiter) with their horses, Roman as well, that once belonged to the nearby Baths of Constantine (early 4th century). During the Middle Ages, these two figures represented one of Rome's main landmarks; in fact, the site was traditionally referred to as Montecavallo (horse-hill) after them. None of the two obelisks bears incriptions, and at fist sight they look perfectly similar; but when it comes to measures, the one on Esquiline Hill marks 14.75 metres in height (48.5 feet), while the one on Quirinal Hill is slightly shorter by 11 cm (4 inches). Including their bases, the height of the two monuments is 25.53 m (84.5 ft) and 28.94 m (95 ft), respectively.

Another interesting feature is that these two spires do not end with a pyramidion at the top, like all other obelisks, but their shaft is flat at both ends: they were either carved with this shape, or the small pyramidal end may have been cut off before standing them. Therefore, the two bronze elements that they carry at the top are not fitted over the pyramidion, but rested directly on the shaft's top. Both of them feature a cross and an eight-pointed star, a device shared by the coat of arms of Sixtus V and that of Pius VI, but only the obelisk on Esquiline Hill also has the small hills device (above left).

introduction
general and
historical notes
part I
Egyptian
obelisks
part II
obelisks of the
Iseum·Serapeum
part IV
the Obelisk of Axum
modern spires