A Taste of Ancient Egypt

Walking Tours of Florence

Egyptian Obelisk

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There is a grand total of thirteen Egyptian obelisks in Rome. There used to be fourteen until one was transferred  to Florence, where it now stands in the Giardino di Boboli.

The obelisk, which is 4.87 m high and made of granite, was first erected in Heliopolis during the reign of Ramesses II (1279-1213 BCE). During the reign of the emperor Domitian (r. 81-96) it was taken to Rome where it was set up at the Iseum (Temple of Isis).

In the second half of the 16th century it was bought by Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici and placed in the gardens of the Villa Medici. In 1788 the Obelisco Mediceo, as it was then known, was moved to Florence, on the orders of Peter Leopold of Lorraine, grand duke of Tuscany.

In 1790 the obelisk, which stands on four bronze turtles and is surmounted by a golden orb, was erected in the amphitheatre of the Boboli garden.