THE CHURCH OF ST. PETER, AT ROME.
From an old print.

E PRIORE SEDE AVVLSVM

ET CAESS. AVG. AC TIB.

I. L. ABLATUM M.D.LXXXVI.

On the foure faces of the base below:

1. CHRISTVS VINCIT.
CHRISTVS REGNAT.

CHRISTVS IMPERAT.
CHRISTVS AB OMNI MALO
PLEBEM SVAM DEFENDAT.

2. SIXTVS V. PONT. MAX.
OBELISCVM VATICANVM DIIS GENTIVM
IMPIO CVLTV DICATVM

AD APOSTOLORVM LIMINA
OPEROSO LABORE TRANSTVLIT
AN. M.D.LXXXVI. PONT. II.

3. ECCE CRVX DOMINI
FVGITE PARTES

ADVERSAE

VINCIT LEO

DE TRIBV IVDA.

4. SIXTVS V. PONT. MAX.
CRVCI INVICTAE

OBELISCVM VATICAN VM
AB IMPIA SVPERSTITIONE
EXPIATVM IVSTIVS

ET FELICIVS CONSECRAVIT

AN. M.D.L.XXXVI. PONT. II.

A little lower :

DOMINICVS FONTANA EX PAGO MILIAGRI NOVOCOMENSIS

TRANSTVLIT ET EREXIT.1

It is reported to have taken a year in erecting, to have cost 37,975 crowns, the labor of 907 men and 75 horses; this being the first of the 4 Egyptian obelisks set up at Rome, and one of the 42 brought

1 In 1589 this eminent architect published a folio volume, with engravings, descriptive of the manner of removing and re-creating this famous monument of antiquity, entitled "Del modo tenuto nel trasportare l'Obelisco Vaticano," with his portrait in the titlepage, holding a model of this column.