What is the inscription on the St Peter's Square Obelisk?


What is the inscription on the St Peter's Square Obelisk? 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).


Who put the obelisk in the Vatican?

The Obelisk was moved at the center of St. Peter's Square only in 1586 by the architect Domenico Fontana, under the order of Pope Sixtus V whose main aim was to re-erect all the obelisks of ancient Rome.


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 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.