What are the inscriptions on the obelisk in St. Peter's Square?


What are the inscriptions on the obelisk in St. Peter's Square? Two ancient inscriptions at the base of the shaft proclaim: DIVO CAESARI DIVI F AVGVSTO TI CAESARI DIVI AVGVSTI F AVGVSTO SACRVM. (Sacred to the Divine Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine, to Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine Augustus.)


What does the inscription on St Peters Basilica say?

At the base of the dome you can read the beautiful inscription “Tu es Petrus et super hang petram aedificabo ecclesiam mean et tibi dabo claves caelorum” (You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church).


What is the most valuable item in the Vatican?

Valued by some as high as €2 billion, Nero's bathtub is one of the most precious works in the Vatican Museums. Stretching a whopping 25ft in diameter, it's made of a deep red/purple porphyry marble. This stone was quarried from a single source in Egypt and no other deposits of it have ever been found.


What is the obelisk in front of St Peters?

Located in front of St Peter's Basilica and the charming Bernini colonnade, the Vatican Obelisk is one of the 13 antique obelisks of Rome. Carved out of red granite, it rises over 25 meters; with the base and the Cross, it reaches almost 40 meters.


What is the story of obelisk?

History of the Obelisk The Obelisk (Greek for pointed instrument) was created roughly 3,500 years ago in Egypt. To celebrate Pharaoh Thutmose III's 30th year of reign, stonecutters carved two obelisks out of granite and installed them outside of the Temple of the Sun in the ancient Egyptian city of Heliopolis.


What does the obelisk symbolize?

Scholars believe that obelisks represented eternity and immortality, and their long, tapering form functioned to connect the heavens and the earth. Their pinnacles were typically covered in gold to reflect the sunlight.


What does the upside down obelisk mean?

The upside down obelisk expresses the reality of loss and pain over the ways that communities and societies are not living up to the highest ideals. The hope in the dream of restored obelisk is reflected in the water. It created a vision of a future not yet fully-realized but for which we deeply yearn.


What is the statue of people on a boat in St Peters Square?

Angels Unawares is a bronze sculpture by Timothy Schmalz installed in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican since September 29, 2019, the 105th World Migrant and Refugee Day.