Obelisk, Fountain and Twin Churches

Obelisk, Fountain and Twin Churches

538
The Flaminian Obelisk (c. 10 BC), first raised at Heliopolis and later transported to Rome by Augustus, rises at the center of the square. In front stands the Fountain of the Goddess Rome (1823), with allegorical figures for the Tiber and Aniene rivers. Behind, the so‑called twin churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto frame the axis of Via del Corso, reinforcing the square’s role as a ceremonial gateway.