The Marconi Obelisk is a structure in Rome's EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma) district, dedicated to the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi. As an example of 20th-century monumental architecture, it incorporates classical Egyptian forms within a modern design and is located in the Piazza Guglielmo Marconi. Its history is connected to the political changes in 20th-century Italy, having been planned under one political regime and finished under another. The project was commissioned in 1937 by the government of Benito Mussolini, with the intention of making it a focal point for the 1942 World's Fair, which was planned to mark the 20th anniversary of the fascist regime. The monument's dedication to Marconi, who died in the same year it was commissioned, illustrates the relationship between science, politics, and cultural expression at the time.

The construction of the monument was affected by Italy's mid-century history. Work stopped due to the outbreak of World War II and did not resume until the 1950s. It was finished and inaugurated on December 12, 1959, ahead of the 1960 Rome Olympics. The structure is 45 meters tall and takes the form of a truncated pyramid, built from reinforced concrete and covered with 92 panels of white Carrara marble.

Designed by sculptor Arturo Dazzi, the obelisk features a series of high-relief panels that present a modern take on hieroglyphics. These four rows of sculptural reliefs show allegorical scenes related to Marconi's life and the effects of his inventions. The imagery includes depictions of dances, songs, prayers, and animals, which the artist referred to as a "thanksgiving by man and nature for Guglielmo Marconi's extraordinary discoveries."

A visible aspect of the artwork is the difference in style between the panels. Those carved before the war have a smoother and more defined appearance, while those completed after the war show a more abstract and contorted style, with figures carved into the roughly finished marble surface. This variation between the pre-war and post-war sections reflects different phases of work and changing artistic approaches.