The Stele di Marconi (Marconi Obelisk) is an obelisk in the EUR district of Rome. It is located right in the center of the Piazza Guglielmo Marconi and is dedicated to the Italian inventor of that name.
Marconi Obelisk Rome
History and description
The Marconi Obelisk is completely made of concrete and covered with 92 marble panels depicting events from the life of the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi. The marble panels were made in Carrara.
The construction is located in what used to be called the Piazza Imperiale, but is now named the Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.
The Stele was commissioned by Benito Mussolini and designed by Arturo Dazzi, in 1937. The intention was to have its construction completed in time for the 1942 Esposizione Universale. Work was halted when the war caused the to be cancelled.
The obelisk was finally finished in 1960, when the Olympics were held in Rome. The same happened with several other constructions, including the artificial lake in the district.