Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: obelisk

The "Obelisco della Minerva" (aka "Bernini elephant", "Elephant and Obelisk") is the smallest of all Egyptian obelisks in Rome. It was found during excavations in the garden of a nearby Dominican abbey in 1665. Pope Alexander VII commissioned Lorenzo Bernini to design an elegant "substructure" for the small obelisk. Various preparatory drawings and sketches done by Bernini still exist. Bernini may have been influenced by the popular romance "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili", probably written by Venetian Francesco Colonna. It was first published in 1499 with many woodcut illustrations. Seen on one of them is an artifical elephant ("elephantina machina") with an obelisk on his back. As well the story of Pope Leo X´s elephant Hanno ("Annone") was surely still popular. The Pope had received the Indian elephant as a gift from King Manuel I of Portugal. It came to Rome in 1514 - and died two years later. The sculpture was probably executed by Bernini´s assistant Ercole Ferrata and was unveiled here in 1667.

The "Obelisco della Minerva" (aka "Bernini elephant", "Elephant and Obelisk") is the smallest of all Egyptian obelisks in Rome. It was found during excavations in the garden of a nearby Dominican abbey in 1665. Pope Alexander VII commissioned Lorenzo Bernini to design an elegant "substructure" for the small obelisk. Various preparatory drawings and sketches done by Bernini still exist. Bernini may have been influenced by the popular romance "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili", probably written by Venetian Francesco Colonna. It was first published in 1499 with many woodcut illustrations. Seen on one of them is an artifical elephant ("elephantina machina") with an obelisk on his back. As well the story of Pope Leo X´s elephant Hanno ("Annone") was surely still popular. The Pope had received the Indian elephant as a gift from King Manuel I of Portugal. It came to Rome in 1514 - and died two years later. The sculpture was probably executed by Bernini´s assistant Ercole Ferrata and was unveiled here in 1667.

Early sunset in winter - St. Peter's Basilica in late daylight. St. Peter's Basilica is of course part of Vatican City (officially the "State of Vatican City") a walled enclave within the city of Rome. But with an area of about 44 hectares, and a population of about 850 it is the smallest state in the world and so I merge it into Rome and Italy. St. Peter's Basilica of today replaced "Old St. Peter's Basilica", that existed from the 4th to the 16th century, when the construction on the new basilica started. Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in "Old St. Peter" in 800. (New) St. Peter's Basilica, designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture, completed in 1590. It is one of the largest churches worldwide . Seen in the center of the "St. Peter's Square" is the Vatican Obelisk, that was originally taken by Caligula from Heliopolis in Egypt. Next to the obelisk is a christmas tree and a large crib.