One of the pleasures of wandering around Rome is stumbling across interesting art. So it was as my wife and I rambled from the Forum to the Pantheon. We came across a statue with an obelisk protruding from its back.
This whimsical statue is the handiwork of none other than the great sculpture, Gianlorenzo Bernini. It’s generally known as the “Elephant and Obelisk” and is situated in Piazza della Minerva, adjacent to Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva and the Pantheon.
(the Elephant and Obelisk in front of Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva)
(the Pantheon is in the background)
The obelisk was retrieved from Egypt nearly 2000 years ago and was found in a garden next to the church in the 17th century. It’s the smallest of the 13 Egyptian obelisks situated in Rome. Bernini chose to pair the obelisk with an elephant, and it was placed on a broad base for weight distribution. My wife and I found the combination to be delightful.
