The Column of the Vicariate or Colonna della Vicaria was a simple white marble column on a pedestal that formerly stood outside the

Castel Capuano Castel Capuano is a castle in Naples, southern Italy. It takes its name from the fact that it was at that point in the city walls where the road led out to the city of Capua. The castle is at the southwest end of via dei Tribunali, and until re ...

along Via dei Tribunali in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, Italy. It was used by the government first as a place for punishment of debtors. Prior to the reign of the viceroy

Don Pedro de Toledo Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON * Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a v ...

, tradition holds that those unable to pay debts were either chained or approached the column on their knees, then exposed their backside to the public, stating his penance, and stating ''cedo bonis'' (I cede my goods). It has been described as the ''sacrificial altar of the debtor''. Don Pedro of Toledo modified the tradition. In 1546, he ordered that the debtor instead had to approach the pillar and state his name, that of the lender in a clear and loud voice, and he had to stay for an hour bareheaded, embracing the column. A plaque in 1553 commemorated abolition of the former tradition. Later decrees required those who were debtors to wear certain hats with ribbons; failure to comply meant service in the galleys. In later centuries, the column was used as a site to exhibit unclaimed cadavers, and crowds came to rubberneck the bodies for spectacle. The column was taken down in 1856 and moved to the Museum of San Martino.

References

{{coord missing, Italy Buildings and structures in Naples Monuments and memorials in Naples Monumental columns in Italy