Colonna Infame (Infamous Column), Bari

The Infamous Column, stands as a compelling relic of the city's judicial and civic past. Dating back to the mid-16th century, the column was commissioned by the Spanish Viceroy Pietro di Toledo and is widely associated with public shaming practices aimed at insolvent debtors.

Though concrete documentation is scarce, tradition holds that those unable to pay their debts were once displayed here-hands bound to the column and humiliation enforced. Today, it serves as a reminder of how communities once balanced justice and spectacle.

Architecturally, the monument features a white marble column rising from four concentric steps, crowned by a spherical finial. At its base reclines an ancient lion sculpted from Apulian limestone breccia-likely repurposed from a Roman tomb dating to between the 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D. The inscription on its collar, “guardian of justice”, reinforces its symbolic role in watching over the city.

Originally placed near the Sea Gate by the old port, the Colonna Infame later found a home in its current location, aligning with the area’s historical role as Bari’s civic and commercial heart.