The Vatican Obelisk is one of the thirteen ancient obelisks in Rome and is located in St. Peter's Square is the square in front of the Basilica of San Pietro.
The square was built, by order of Pope Alexander VII, between 1656 and 1667, designed by Bernini and is composed of two parts: a first trapezoidal space, delimited by two closed and convergent rectilinear arms that flank the churchyard, and a second space of elliptical shape, included between the two hemicycles of the quadruple colonnade.
As Bernini himself said, "since the church of San Pietro was almost the matrix of all the others, it must have had a portico that proved to receive with open arms maternally the Catholics to confirm them in the belief, the Heretics to reunite them in the Church and the Infidels to enlighten them in the true faith ".
In the center of the square is the Vatican Obelisk is one of the thirteen ancient obelisks in Rome and is located in St. Peter's Square and in its original location from 1586 under the direction of the architect Domenico Fontana.
Made of red granite, it rises to a height of 25.5 meters and with the base (made up of four bronze lions, works by Prospero Antichi) and the cross reaches almost 40 meters.
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The inscription reads: ECCE CRUX DOMINI - FVGITE - PARTES ADVERSAE - VICIT LEO DE TRIBV IVDA, that is, in Italian: "Behold the cross of the Lord, flee adverse parties, triumphs the lion of the tribe of Judah".
On the sides of the obelisk, the two large fountains by Bernini (1675) and Maderno (1614).
Vatican Obelisk in St. Peter's Square - Virtual Tour 360°
Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120, Città del Vaticano
Phone: 06 69883332
Site:
https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/monumenti/basilica-di-san-pietro/la-piazza.htmlLocation inserted by
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