Esquilino obelisk, Ancient obelisk near Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy
The red granite Esquilino obelisk stands 14.75 meters tall in Piazza dell'Esquilino, featuring a bronze cross and papal coat of arms at its summit.
Originally placed at the entrance of Augustus' Mausoleum around 100 BC, the obelisk was found broken in pieces near the Church of San Rocco in the 16th century.
Pope Sixtus V installed this obelisk in 1587 as part of his project to mark Rome's major basilicas and establish new pilgrimage routes through the city.
The obelisk remains accessible throughout the year at the intersection of Via Cavour and Via Carlo Alberto, near the Vittorio Emanuele metro station.
Unlike other Roman obelisks, this monument contains no hieroglyphic inscriptions, suggesting it was created specifically for the Emperor Augustus rather than imported from Egypt.
Location: Rome
Inception: 1 century
Height: 1,475 cm
GPS coordinates: 41.89820,12.49740
Latest update: May 31, 2025 08:02
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