What is the most famous obelisk in Rome?

Arguably the most famous of Rome's obelisks is the Vaticano obelisk, found in Vatican city. This remarkable edifice was originally brought to Rome by Caligula in 37 for the Vatican Circus. Although it has been moved, it is the only obelisk not to have been toppled since the time of the ancient Romans.



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Key information: The Lateran obelisk is the largest obelisk ever brought to Rome,. Intended by Constantine, it was brought by Constans II on the occasion of his visit to Rome. It was erected in the Circus Maximus as a turning post.

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While the honor of the world's tallest obelisk belongs to the Washington Monument (standing 555 feet, or 169 meters, tall), Long believes the most famous obelisk on the planet is likely the Vatican Obelisk at the center of Rome's St. Peter's Square.

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The Obelisk of Constantius (Lateran Obelisk) is the largest obelisk in Rome. It is also the oldest obelisk in Rome and the last to be brought there. It was brought to Rome by Constantius II (337-361) and erected in 357 AD on the spina of the Circus Maximus just as Augustus had done in 10 BC.

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  • Goshen Obelisk, Heliopolis, Egypt. ...
  • Philae Obelisk, Kingston Lacy, Dorset, England. ...
  • Cleopatra's Needle, Alexandria, Egypt.


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The obelisk came to its current location by order of Pope Sixtus V, which wanted each main church in Rome to get an obelisk, so that they could form stops along a pilgrimage path across the city. ON its top, there is the family crest of Sixtus V, three hills with stars surmounted by a cross.

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3 English Obelisks – Philae, Goshen and Cleopatra's Needle.

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Built in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, evoking the timelessness of ancient civilizations, the Washington Monument embodies the awe, respect, and gratitude the nation felt for its most essential Founding Father. When completed, the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world at 555 feet, 5-1/8 inches.

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The emperor Caligula brought a great stone obelisk from Egypt to the Circus Nero in Rome. It was a 327-ton monolith, 83 feet long.

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For of the 21 ancient obelisks still standing, Egypt itself can claim fewer than five. Rome boasts 13, all snatched from the Land of the Pharaohs in Roman times, and the rest are spread from Istanbul to New York City.

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During the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, the French attempted to steal the two obelisks and take them back to Paris. The campaign ended before they were successful, but the French did not give up then. A mere 30 years later, the obelisks were “gifted” to the French by the Ottoman monarch Muhammed Ali Pasha.

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The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783 in the American Revolutionary War, and the first President of the United States from ...

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Created roughly 3,500 years ago in Egypt, the Obelisk—also known as Cleopatra's Needle—was dedicated in Central Park in 1881. Standing between the Great Lawn and the Met Museum, the Obelisk is the oldest outdoor monument in NYC.

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The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783 in the American Revolutionary War, and the first President of the United States from ...

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In the 1st century B.C., Ancient Rome discovers the charm of the Egyptian culture, as a result of the conquest of Egypt by Julius Caesar and Augustus. Since then, traces of Egyptian civilization appear more and more in the city. We might think of obelisks, but they are not the only Egyptian traces in town.

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