20/10/2024
🕯️ Spooky October: Did You Know? 👻 The Ghost of Julius Caesar and St. Peter’s Obelisk 🕯️
Rome is filled with stories of ancient emperors, powerful rulers, and... restless spirits 🏛️. One of the eeriest legends ties none other than Julius Caesar to a place you might not expect—St. Peter’s Square in the heart of Vatican City!
Before St. Peter’s Basilica stood as a symbol of Christianity, this area was home to the Circus of Nero, where gladiators fought and chariots raced. Right in the middle of that circus was a towering Egyptian obelisk—a symbol of power brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula. But here’s where the story gets spooky...
After Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B.C., legend says his ashes were sealed in a golden globe placed at the top of that very obelisk! For more than 1,500 years, people believed his spirit was trapped inside, silently watching over the city. 😱
In 1585, Pope Sixtus V decided to move the obelisk to its current spot in St. Peter’s Square. When the workers opened the globe, expecting to find Caesar’s ashes... they found nothing but solid bronze. But according to the legend, that’s when Caesar’s ghost was finally set free! 👀
Since then, countless sightings of Caesar’s ghost have been reported, especially near ancient landmarks like the Roman Forum and Largo di Torre Argentina—where he was murdered. And of course, some say they’ve seen his ghostly figure wandering near the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square, often on the Ides of March, the anniversary of his death. 🗡️
Are your eyes only on St. Peter’s Basilica and the square? Remember, this ground has been a resting place for centuries... So, who else might be lingering in the shadows besides Julius Caesar’s ghost? 👻🔮