I just saw mention of this very same obelisk on a program on cable TV, wherein it was stated that this ancient Egyptian monument was brought to Rome in 37 AD, by the princeps Gaius (better known as Caligula), and that there is a tradition that this object was the last thing seen by Saint Peter before the moment of his death by execution.
What a rich tapestry we humans weave in history, of which Brokeback Mountain is now an added precious thread.
