- The Minerva Obelisk is a red granite Egyptian Obelisk located in Piazza della Minerva, opposite the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.
- It is one of the thirteen Obelisks of Ancient Rome.
History
- The Obelisk was originally erected in Sais, Egypt, in c.480 BCE, before being brought to Rome in the 1st century CE and placed next to a Temple of Isis.
- In 1665 CE, it was unearthed in front of the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, where the Temple of Isis had once stood, and in 1667 CE was re-positioned in front of it, supported by a statue of an elephant designed by the Baroque sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Photo and map: Minerva Obelisk, Piazza della Minerva, Rome