Esquiline Obelisk - Rome. Italy - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

In the early part of the sixteenth century, during some excavations around the ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus, two large obelisks were uncovered. Because of where they were found, historians believe that they once stood on either side of the main entrance to the mausoleum. It is uncertain whether they were part of the original design or were added some time later. And though imported from Egypt, it is uncertain whether they date from the Egyptian or the Roman period.

In any event, Pope Sixtus V, who had initiated some urban renewal in Rome, had one of these obelisks restored and erected on the Piazza dell’Esquilino, just behind the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Maggiore. The other obelisk became reburied and wasn’t unearthed again until the eighteenth century when it was erected on the Piazza del Quirinale.

The stamp was part of a set issued by the Vatican in 1993 featuring various buildings in Rome belonging to the Holy See that lie outside the boundary of Vatican City. This one shows the rear of the Basilica of St. Mary Maggiore including, quite prominently, the Esquiline Obelisk.

Stamp Issuing Country: Vatican City Date of Issue: 23-Mar-1993 Denomination: 350 l Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/22/2023 DeBoerHuissen visited it