Quirinale obelisk, Ancient granite obelisk in Piazza del Quirinale, Rome, Italy

The Quirinale obelisk is an ancient granite monument standing in the center of Piazza del Quirinale in Rome, displaying a simple and austere design. Sculptural figures and horses surround the base, creating a composed ensemble within the urban square.

The obelisk was carved in Egypt from red Aswan granite, probably in the late 1st century AD, and was set up with its twin at the entrance of the Mausoleum of Augustus under Domitian. Both fell and broke in the Middle Ages; this one was rediscovered in 1527. Pope Pius VI had it re-erected on Piazza del Quirinale in 1786, next to the Dioscuri statues, by the architect Giovanni Antinori.

The obelisk is topped with the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII: a star above six hills, the Chigi emblem. It appears with the Quirinal Palace on Italy's 500-lire coin issued from 1982 to 2001. The Dioscuri statues beside it, Castor and Pollux with their horses, came from the nearby Baths of Constantine.

The obelisk stands in the open Piazza del Quirinale, in front of the presidential palace, so it can be seen at any hour from the square. The Dioscuri fountain at its base is fed by the Acqua Felice. The square sits on the Quirinal hill, a short climb from the Trevi and Barberini areas.

The obelisk is uninscribed, like its twin on the Esquiline and the Vatican obelisk, which is why its construction is thought not to be as ancient as most Egyptian obelisks. Its crowning carries the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII: a star above six hills.