Egyptian Obelisk, Circus Nero, 1590

Egyptian Obelisk, Circus Nero, 1590

Engraving by Domenico Fontana entitled: "Obelisk at the Circus Nero prior to its relocation to the Piazza of Saint Peter in Rome. 1590." The obelisk was originally erected at Heliopolis by an unknown pharaoh of the Fifth dynasty of Egypt (2494 - 2345 BC). During its history the obelisk has been successfully moved three times. The Emperor Augustus had the obelisk moved to the Julian Forum of Alexandria, where it stood until 37 AD, when Caligula ordered the forum demolished and the obelisk transferred to Rome. He had it placed in the Circus of Nero. Throughout the Renaissance the idea of moving the obelisk to a more prominent position was often discussed, but the challenge of moving an object which weighed over 300 tons was a task that no engineer had tackled since ancient times. Pope Sixtus V launched a competition which attracted in the region of 500 entries and was won by Domenico Fontana, an architect and engineer. In 1586 the work was carried out, taking 900 men and 140 horses five months to move the obelisk a distance of little more than 330 feet. Which seemed a magical feat, but the ancient Romans, managed to transport the obelisk all the way from Egypt, a distance of over one thousand miles with no damage. Illustration taken from Della Transportatione dell'Obelisco Vaticano.

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3300 x 5233 px | 49.4 MB

27.9 x 44.3 cm | 11.0 x 17.4 in (300 dpi)