The ‘Sallustian’ Obelisk
In 2020, my first article came out about the journey of the Sallustiano Obelisk from the Villa Ludovisi (Villa Aurora) to the Spanish Steps in Rome. The Egyptian-style obelisk currently located in the Piazza della Trinità dei Monti has a relatively unknown history. A little over 400 years ago the Ludovisi family acquired the artifact and some documents regarding its origin and movements over the past thousand years. I worked with Dr. T. Corey Brennan from Rutgers University on the Ludovisi archives to attempt to trace its journey. To read more about the remarkable history of the famous Rome landmark, check out the original article below!
The ‘Sallustian’ Obelisk: A Remarkable Journey from the Villa Ludovisi to the Spanish Steps
An illustrated essay by Isabel Heslin (Lehigh ’21) Almost everyone who has visited Rome has seen the towering, 14 meter high obelisk on its base at the top of the Spanish Steps. It gleams over the …
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