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Why is there an Egyptian obelisk erected at St. Peter's

Square?Reviewed October 5, 2014Almost everybody has seen the famous Egytian obelis! at the center ofthe "t# $eter%s "&uare in 'atican (ity# Either you visited Rome, or youwatched it on television when a new oe is elected or for e)amle duringEaster# *ut what is the story+ hy has this articular obelis! been erectedhere and what is the connection with the 'atican+

-irst . want to oint out that there are many !inds of obelis!s# "ome havebeen &uarried in Egyt, but many have been self made# (urrently there are

only 2/ Egytian obelis!s standing in the world# Only are standing inEgyt, 1 in Rome and the rest is located around the world in cities li!eew 3or!, ondon, $aris and .stanbul# he Egytian obelis! which is nowlocated at "t# $eter%s "&uare is often called 'atican Obelis!# .t is not !nownwhich $haraoh has constructed it, but it is assumed that it was erected at6elioolis around 2500 *(# Around 0 *( the obelis! was moved to

Ale)andria by Emeror Augustus and erected at the 7ulian -orum# .n 8 A9Emeror (aligula ordered the destruction of the -orum and the obelis! wasshied to Rome# .t was laced on the central "ina of (aligula:s circus,

later called the (ircus of ero# ;uch of the circus is under the basilica ands&uare, the original sot for the obelis! is near the resent

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in the stone and watching their behavior# $robably $oe "i)tus ' alsobelieved this and that is why, after the obelis! was moved and before thecross was laced on to, he conducted the ancient rite of e)orcism againstthe obelis!# After that he casted sanctified water uon the illar in the formof a cross and so!e, ?.n nomine $atris, et -ili@, et "iritus sancti# Amen=?.n the ame of the -ather and of the "on and of the 6oly Bhost# Amen>#he te)t of the e)orcism is carved in atin into the western and easternsides of the base of the obelis!#

he obelis! was moved by engineer and architect 9omenico -ontana# .ttoo! over C00 men and 140 horses more than 5 months to move theobelis! and ull it uright# -ontana did a good @ob and the obelis! stillstands, in fact it is the only ancient Egytian obelis! in Rome whichremained standing since Roman times# .t remains a mystery why the

obelis! has no hieroglyhic inscritions#owadays three different coats