Spires of Naples
History and museums
The Spires of Naples ("spire" in Italian: guglia; plural, guglie) 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 were in 17th and 18th century Catholic Europe, and their heavy ornateness characterizes Baroque architecture. In Naples, by chronological order by date of completion, the spires are: