Bernini's
famous "Elephant-Obelisk", c. 1667 - Piazza della Minerva, Rome, Italy.
The obelisk was discovered during excavation of the
area. Pope Alexander VII had a strong hand in the
design of this monument and his wish was to conveys
the idea that "it requires robust intelligence to
uphold solid wisdom".
Over a century earlier, Pope Leo X had a beloved pet
elephant known as Hanno or Annone. Experts deny
a connection of Hanno with this monument. However,
Hanno was celebrated in Rome. He was buried in
the Cortile del Belvedere in the Vatican and Raphael
was commanded to create a large fresco in his
memory (lost).
Note "aana" in Malay is for "elephant" and the
name "Hannibal" refers to a leader who used these
animals to make war.
