Our next stop was Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which stands just right behind Pantheon. From the photo above, you can see the backside of Pantheon in the background.
Although its exterior is plain, this Roman Catholic Church is famous for its decor and the obelisk supported by the elephant in front of the building. Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is the only remaining example of original Gothic church in Rome.
It features arched vaulted ceiling painted blue with gilded stars.
Check out this awesome elephant, it totally deserves a close-up. The sculpture of the elephant was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and executed by his student, Ercole Ferrata. The elephant at the base supports the Egyptian obelisk. It is the shortest of the eleven Egyptian obelisks dug up in Rome, probably built during 589BC to 570BC.
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