Top Ten Obelisks

Our list goes to eleven!

Obelisk

Location

Fun Fact

WINE Pairing

Lateran Obelisk

Rome

The largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk in the world. It lay broken in pieces for centuries before being re-erected in the late 1500s.

Barolo — big, structured, and not subtle.

Vatican Obelisk

Vatican City

One of Rome’s most famous obelisks, moved to St. Peter’s Square in 1586 using hundreds of men, horses, ropes, and a great deal of nerve.

Frascati — local, simple, and better than expected.

Luxor Obelisk

Paris

One of a pair—its twin still stands in Luxor. For nearly 160 years, it was missing its pyramidion until France added a gold-capped one in 1998.

Champagne — classic and exactly where it belongs.

Obelisk of Theodosius

Istanbul

Originally erected by Thutmose III, then moved by the Romans to Constantinople. Only the upper portion survives today.

Kalecik Karası — local and worth discovering.

Cleopatra’s Needle

London

Nearly lost at sea on the way to England. It also still bears scars from wartime bombing.

Bordeaux — structured and steady.

Cleopatra’s Needle

New York City

Installed in Central Park in 1881. Its hieroglyphs have weathered faster in New York than they did in Egypt.

Napa Cabernet — big and unapologetic.

Flaminio Obelisk

Rome

One of the first Egyptian obelisks brought to Rome, once standing in the Circus Maximus before moving to Piazza del Popolo.

Super Tuscan — a little modern, still serious.

Boboli Obelisk

Florence

An Egyptian obelisk that traveled from Egypt to Rome, then from Rome to Florence, ending up in the Boboli Gardens.

Heliopolis Obelisk of Senusret I

Cairo

One of the oldest surviving obelisks and still standing near its original ancient setting.

Monte Citorio Obelisk

Rome

Used by Augustus as part of a massive Roman solar/timekeeping project. Not a bad second career.

Unfinished Obelisk

Aswan

Still lying in the quarry where it cracked before completion. Most visitors don't realize that the

Chianti Classico — balanced and local.

Egyptian red — start at the source.

Verdicchio — precise and understated.

Whatever is cold — quarry work looks exhausting.