The Transportation of the Vatican Obelisk

Libro Primo.
7

which were conducted to Rome upon very large two-wheeled carts, to each of which, because of their size, seven pairs of buffaloes were necessary.

At Terracina, a large quantity of elm planks to arm the Spire and lay the bed over the beams where it had to be dragged.

Near Santa Severa, in the places of the Reverend Chamber, it was ordered to cut spindles for holm-oak winches and blocks, elm poles, and planks, in such a way that with the greatest solicitude, almost on the same day, they began in all the above-mentioned places to make these preparations.

But before I pass further, I have judged that it will be of great satisfaction to those who were not present to show in a drawing the place where the Spire stood before, with the Spire itself, which was buried for the length of time a great part under the ground. That place was remote, muddy, and little frequented, so that a great part of the foreigners who arrived in Rome—some out of devotion, and others out of curiosity to see it—if they were not led by someone experienced to where it was, either they found it with difficulty, or they left without having seen such a rare thing. Therefore, in the following first drawing, one sees what I have said, and furthermore it has seemed well to me to represent around this Spire eight drawings, or models—as we wish to call them—of the best ones that were proposed in the Congregation narrated above, each one of which was founded upon good reasons. It is true that they are in small form due to the narrowness of the sheet, and this I have done to show the various ways found by many engineers for the same effect, in order to give greater satisfaction to the desiring readers.

A decorative woodcut vignette featuring symmetrical scrolled foliage and floral motifs, arranged in a dense, rectangular composition.