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Obelisco Lateranense | |
 Obelisk today across from theArchbasilica of Saint John Lateran | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | Erected in 1588 atPiazza San Giovanni in Laterano inRome, Italy |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°53′12.6″N12°30′17.2″E / 41.886833°N 12.504778°E /41.886833; 12.504778 (Lateranense) |
| Designer | Thutmose III and completed by his grandsonThutmose IV inKarnak |
| Type | Obelisk |
| Material | 32.18 metres (105.6 ft) of redgranitemonolith |
| Height | 45.7 metres (150 ft) |
| Completion date | 15th century B.C. |
TheLateran Obelisk (Italian:Obelisco Lateranense;Latin:Obeliscus Constantii) is the largest standing ancient Egyptianobelisk in the world, and it is also the tallest obelisk inItaly. It originally weighed 413 tonnes (455 short tons), but after collapsing and being re-erected 4 metres (13 ft) shorter, now weighs around 300 tonnes (330 short tons).[1] It is located inRome, in the square across from theArchbasilica of Saint John Lateran and theSan Giovanni Addolorata Hospital.
The obelisk was made around 1400 BC inKarnak, Egypt, during the reigns of PharaohsThutmose III andThutmose IV. Roman EmperorConstantine I had it moved toAlexandria in the early 4th century AD, thenConstantius II in AD 357 had it shipped to Rome and erected at theCircus Maximus. The obelisk collapsed and broke into pieces sometime after the Circus's abandonment in the 5th century and became buried. It was excavated and restored byDomenico Fontana in the late 1580s, and by the order ofPope Sixtus V was topped with aChristian cross and installed in its present location near theLateran Palace.
Originally, the obelisk was created by PharaohThutmose III (1479–1425 BC) for himself and another for his father, but neither were completed before his death. Thutmose III's grandson,Thutmose IV (1400–1390 BC) finished the obelisks and had them erected to the east of the great temple ofAmun inKarnak.map
Now His Majesty completed the very great sole obelisk from what his ancestor the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Menkheperre (Thutmose III) brought after His Majesty found this obelisk having lain for a total of 35 years on its side in the possession of the craftsmen on the south side of Karnak.[2]
— Inscription of Thutmose IV on the Lateran obelisk
When it was completed, the obelisk now known as the Lateran Obelisk stood at 32 m (105 ft) which was the tallest one in Egypt.[3] Both it and the other obelisk, known as theObelisk of Theodosius, were brought toAlexandria over theNile by anobelisk ship in the early 4th century byConstantius II. He intended to bring both obelisks toConstantinople, the new capital for theRoman Empire; the Lateran Obelisk never made it.
After the obelisk remained in Alexandria for a few decades, Constantius II had the Lateran obelisk shipped to Rome when he made his only visit there in 357. It was erected near the Egyptian obelisk called theFlaminio, which had stood since 10 BC where it was installed byAugustus to decorate thespina of theCircus Maximus.map There they both remained, until after the fall of theWestern Roman Empire in the 5th century the Circus Maximus was abandoned and they eventually broke or were taken down. They were eventually buried by mud and detritus carried by a small stream over time.
First person accounts have the original (Roman) base of the monument still in the Circus Maximus as late as 1589.[4] It contained a narrative of Constantius' transport, raising, and dedication of "his father's" obelisk inscribed on its four sides as a long epigram.[5]
Though pieces of the obelisk were found in the 14th and 15th centuries, serious excavation was only made possible underPope Sixtus V. The three pieces of the Lateran obelisk were dug up in 1587, and after being restored by architectDomenico Fontana, the obelisk was re-erected approximately 4 metres (13 ft) shorter. When it was erected near theLateran Palace and basilica of St. John Lateran on 9 August 1588, it became the last ancient Egyptian obelisk to be erected in Rome. Its location was formerly the spot where theequestrian statue ofMarcus Aurelius stood until 1538, when it was relocated to decorate thePiazza del Campidoglio onCapitoline Hill.
The obelisk was topped with a cross and the pedestal was decorated with inscriptions explaining its Egyptian history and its travels to Alexandria and Rome, mentioning the baptism of Constantine the Great.
Media related toLateran obelisk at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Porta Esquilina | Landmarks of Rome Lateran Obelisk | Succeeded by Flaminio Obelisk |