Novum Italiae Theatrum, sive accurata descriptio ipsius urbium, palatiorum, sacrarum aedium.: Page showing the transportation of the Vatican obelisk

Page showing the transportation of the Vatican obelisk ; In 1586, the Italian engineer Domenico Fontana moved an Egyptian obelisk to its present site in front of the Vatican in St. Peter's Square. The obelisk, quarried in Egypt during the 13th century BCE, was brought to Rome in the 1st century. It remained in position until Pope Sixtus V, as part of his plan to continue the construction of St. Peter's and make it one of the world's truly spectacular buildings, recommended moving the obelisk 275 yards from its original Roman site to the featured location in front of the Vatican. Fontana's plan... Mehr ...