- The Lateran Obelisk was originally one of a pair of Obelisks from Egypt, the other being the Obelisk of Theodosius, which both came from the Temple of Amun in Karnak.
- It was erected on the Spina of the Circus Maximus by Constantius II in 357 BCE, beside the Flaminio Obelisk. The Lateran Obelisk now stands in Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome.
Getting There
- Location: Piazza di S. Giovanni en Laterano, 4, Caelian Hill, Rome.
- Nearest Metro Station: San Giovanni, Line A.
- Nearest Tram Station: P.za Di Porta Maggiore: Tram 5, 14.
History
- Both the Lateran Obelisk and the Obelisk of Theodosius were moved earlier by Obelisk ship down the Nile by Constantius II from Karnak to Alexandria.
- He had intended for both Obelisks to be moved to Constantinople, but he left one behind in Alexandria where it remained until it was moved by Theodosius I in 390 CE.
- The Lateran Obelisk was moved by Constantius II, from Alexandria, to Rome in 357 CE.
Circus Maximus
- The Lateran Obelisk was erected on the Spina of the Circus Maximus in 357 CE. It was placed next to another Egyptian Obelisk called the Flaminio Obelisk, which had itself been installed by Augustus in 10 BCE.
Obelisk of Theodosius
- The other Obelisk, known as the Obelisk of Theodosius, was moved by Theodosius I in 390 CE from Alexandria to the Hippodrome in Constantinople, now Istanbul, where it still stands today.
- Both Obelisks remained in situ until the Fall of the Roman Empire.
- The Lateran Obelisk now stands in Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano.
Photo and map: Lateran Obelisk, Rome