Spire of San Gennaro

The Spires of Naples are monumental columns in the historic center of the city of Naples, Italy.These plague columns were built to celebrate the end of, or deliverance from, the plague. The columns may also be termed votive Marian and Holy Trinity columns, and could also be connected with non-pestilent calamities such as earthquakes or eruptions, or simply manifest faith, atonement, or expiation. The columns are generally named for the religious votive icon at the top. Most remaining columns were built in Catholic countries throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Their heavy ornateness characterizes Baroque architecture. In Naples, by chronological order of date of completion, three main spires can be found, as follows:

Spire of San Gennaro in the square dedicated to Cardinal Sisto Riario Sforza. It is the work of Cosimo Fanzago, perhaps the greatest architect of the Neapolitan Baroque.