The Transportation of the Vatican Obelisk

...which was made in the manner of a cross. Each branch of which began from one of the four faces of the Spire and extended outward fifty palmi, ending in a width of thirty palmi for each head. Above this cross, another order of beams was placed, contrary to the first, distant from one another as much as the columns and the feet of the props could fit between them, which had to support the same columns of the said castle. These props were, by the aforementioned and other beams, tightened all around in such a way that they could not slip from any side.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FORM OF THE CASTLE

To form the aforementioned Castle, eight columns or antennas, as we wish to name them, were planted: four on one side and four on the other side of the Spire, distant from each other five palmi. They were formed in a thickness of four beams for each, each beam two and a quarter palmi thick, so that each column came to be four and a half palmi thick in diameter, and eighteen palmi in circumference. These beams were connected together for greater firmness in this way: one was always shorter than the other so that the joints would not meet together. The same beams were bored in many places on all faces, passing from one side to the other, inside which holes were placed iron bolts original: "chiauarde", which, passing through both and then fastened with iron wedges original: "zepparelle" at the other end where they came out, kept said beams joined and united tightly without any nails. This was to be able to make and dismantle said Castle more quickly without spoiling any beam. The aforementioned iron bolts were made, as will be seen in their place in the drawing, and the orders of the holes were distant one from the other twelve palmi. Furthermore, at every twelve palmi there were iron rings in the way they will also be seen in the drawing, which similarly surrounded and tightened all four beams together. And to make them tighten more, many wooden wedges beaten strongly were placed in many places where needed between the beams and said rings. And in addition, in many opportune places, many very tight ropes were wound and surrounded all around with wedges in the same manner, and these bindings were likewise distant one from the other twelve palmi. And with such an order, following this, the aforementioned columns were raised (since one beam alone was not enough for such a height) with many beams one above the other joined in the same way, ten palmi higher than the Spire itself. Such that these columns, or antennas, were one hundred twenty-three palmi high above the foundation. And above these were placed eight trusses of very thick beams made in the way that will be seen in the drawing, with the braces original: "faettoni" inside said Castle that propped them up and together held said columns at the top, so that they could not bend inward. All around these eight columns, or antennas, were forty-eight props situated in this way: five palmi away from the foot of each column stood the shortest, which rose up to the third of the height of each, forming a right triangle, the base of which was seven and a half palmi wide, including the thickness of the beam, which was two and a half palmi. These first ones, being short, were all made of a single beam, and each column had one, except for those that stood at the four corners of the Castle, which had two for each: that is, the first two had one turned to the East for one, and another had the right one to the South and the left one to the North; and the two last columns similarly one each.