Obelisco dei Dogali

Gazing up at this towering obelisk, it’s hard to believe it began its life in ancient Egypt. This, my friends, is the Obelisco dei Dogali. This obelisk wasn’t always a war memorial, you see. It was originally carved from red granite in the 13th century BCE, during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Back then, it stood proudly in Heliopolis, an ancient Egyptian city dedicated to the sun god. The Obelisco dei Dogali, along with its twin now in Florence, were brought to Rome by the Romans to adorn the Temple of Isis. The Romans, always eager for a trophy, shipped it all the way from Egypt. Centuries later, it was unearthed in pieces, a forgotten relic of a bygone era. It took until 1883 for the entire obelisk to be pieced together. The Obelisco dei Dogali found a new purpose. It became a memorial to the Battle of Dogali, a tragic clash between Italian and Ethiopian forces in 1885, where Italy suffered a heavy loss. The obelisk was erected in its current location in 1924. Today, the Obelisco dei Dogali stands as a solemn reminder of that conflict and the soldiers who lost their lives.