Egyptian Legacy Walk Through Ancient Rome
Piazza Venezia
Begin the tour at Piazza Venezia, the vibrant heart of modern Rome.
Observe the grandeur of the Vittoriano monument and the historic Palazzo Venezia.
View the statue of Madama Lucrezia beside the staircase of Palazzo Venezia and learn about its connection to the ancient goddess Isis.
Iseum Campense Area
Walk to the Campo Marzio district and explore the area where the Iseum Campense once stood, the largest Roman sanctuary dedicated to Egyptian cults.
Discover how the sanctuary was built during the late Republic and later expanded under Caligula and Domitian.
Visit the Iseum Museum and observe fragments and artifacts connected to the sanctuary.
Piazza della Pigna
Continue to Piazza della Pigna and learn about the large bronze pine cone that once decorated a sacred area linked to the Iseum.
Understand the symbolism of the pine cone, which represented rebirth and immortality in Egyptian spirituality.
Piazza della Minerva
Walk to Piazza della Minerva and observe the Egyptian obelisk supported by an elephant sculpted by Bernini.
Learn that the obelisk once belonged to the nearby Iseum and carried strong symbolic connections with the cult of Isis.
Pantheon
Proceed to the Pantheon and see the Egyptian obelisk that now stands in the square.
Understand how the monument was originally placed in the Temple of the Sun at Heliopolis.
Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi and Piazza Sant'Eustachio
Walk toward Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi and discover the fragments of a still-buried Egyptian obelisk uncovered through archaeological excavations.
Continue to Piazza Sant'Eustachio and observe the Baroque fountain with a basin made from Egyptian granite taken from the Neronian Alexandrian baths.
Piazza Navona
Conclude the tour at Piazza Navona and admire Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Observe the Egyptian pink granite obelisk from Aswan rising above the fountain.
Learn how the obelisk was brought to Rome during the reign of Domitian and originally stood between the temples of Isis and Serapis.
