Pulcino della Minerva

In front of the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, you'll see a small elephant statue, affectionately known to locals as "Minerva's Chick". This is one of Bernini's most bizarre works and although the design is his, he let one of his close collaborators, Ercole Ferrata, actually make it.

The obelisk that Bernini positioned on the elephant is one of six coming from the nearby temple of Isis, Iseo Campese. This was ancient Rome's most important temple to the Egyptian goddess, erected in 43 BC and reconstructed by the Emperor Domitian after the great fire of 80 AD. The fact that the elephant is pointing to the Dominican monastery opposite was not lost on the Romans.