Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
At the centre of the "square" is the Vatican obelisk, an ancient Egyptian obelisk moved to the current site in 1586. A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613.
Bernini designed the square ≈100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of the Mother Church".
The Obelisk in the center "witnessed the crucefixion of Peter".
Emperor Caligula had the Obelisk shipped from Egypt to Rome in 40 AD, and placed at the center of the Circus of Nero, the site of crucifixions of Christians and St. Peter, which is now mostly situated in Vatican City. The circus fell into disuse and became part of the adjacent necropolis.
On the "oval-shaped square" are two places that are marked on the central axis from where the rows of 4 collonades become one. See above.