Piazza dei Martiri, Naples


Piazza dei Martiri is a monument-containing square in Naples, Italy, located at the junction of Via Domenico Morelli and Santa Caterina, one block north of the eastern end of the large seaside park known as the Villa Comunale. The square was originally dedicated to Santa Maria a Cappella, but took on patriotic significance when Italy was united in 1861.

Monument to the Martyrs

The monument in the center of this square was built around a column already standing during the Bourbon rule, when the square was called the Piazza della Pace. The column was repurposed, and atop now stands a bronze statue depicting the Virtue of the Martyrs, designed by Emanuele Caggiano. Four lions stand at the corners of the square base, each represent Neapolitan patriots who died during specific anti-Bourbon revolutions
Behind this last lion is a tablet that states: