Spires of Naples

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The Spires of Naples ("spire" in Italian: guglia; plural, guglie) are three monument columns in the historic center of the city of Naples. The term "plague column" is commonly used in English for such structures since in many places in Europe such columns were built to celebrate the end of—or deliverance from—the plague. They were common in the Catholic countries of Europe especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, when their ornateness became one of the most visible features of Baroque architecture. The columns may also be termed "votive columns" or "votive spires" and may also be connected with calamities other than the plague, such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, or may simply be manifestations of faith, atonement, or expiation. Such columns are generally surmounted by a statue of a religious personage. In Naples, the spires are named for the religious figure that tops them. In chronological order by date of completion, the spires are:

• the Spire of San Gennaro, (started in 1636 and finished by 1650) in the square of Sisto Riario Sforza. It was the work of Cosimo Fanzago, perhaps the greatest architect of the Neapolitan Baroque. The spire was erected to celebrate the deliverance of the city from the great earthquake of 1631.

• the Spire of San Domenico, located in the square of San Domenico Maggiore. The name refers to San Domenico di Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order. The spire was started after the plague of 1656; the designer, again, was Cosimo Fanzago. The work, itself, was undertaken by royal architect, Francesco Antonio Picchiati whose concern for documenting and preserving the great number of remains of the ancient Roman city of Neapolis beneath the site caused construction to be suspended in 1680 when the spire had reached only about half the height one sees today. It was finished by the architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro in 1737 under Charles III, the first Bourbon monarch of Naples. By definition, this spire is the only true "plague column" of the three.

• the Spire of the Immaculate Virgin, located in the center of the square of Piazza del Gesù Nuovo. It was erected in 1750 under Charles III after a building time of only three years. It was built at the behest of the king after he commented that the people should have some means of admiring the statue of the Immaculate Virgin without having to go into the church of Gesù (now called Gesù Nuovo) on the square, where the statue was contained. Jesuit Father Francesco Pepe refused royal patronage and financed the construction of the spire through public donations. The spire was designed by Giuseppe Genoino and the main sculptors were Matteo Bottiglieri and Francesco Pagano. The rich ornamentation of the spire is considered the epitome of Neapolitan Baroque sculpture. Building was facilitated by the existence of a preexisting monument on the site, an equestrian statue of Philip V of Spain, partially destroyed in 1705 after the end of the Spanish vicerealm in Naples.