ANCIENT EGYPT IN THE VATICAN

The obelisk that is visible in St. Peter's Square was taken by Caligula. At the foot of Vatican Hill, Caligula, the Roman emperor, constructed a small circus where charioteers practised and where it is said that Nero executed Christians. Caligula had a pylon that had previously been in Heliopolis transported from Egypt by his troops to serve as the centerpiece of the amphitheater. Over 3,000 years ago, the obelisk was built for an Egyptian king out of a single piece of red granite that weighed more than 350 tons. It was transported to its current site in St. Peter's Square in 1586, where it serves as a massive sundial. #passionpassport #givethanks #gooutside #vatican #rome #italy #ancientarchitecture #history