Placed at the intersection of the quaint street of Giacomo Mora and Porta Ticinese stands a memorial to the trial of the humble barber Gian Giacomo Mora and Guglielmo Piazza (a dedicated health commissioner). The Infamous Column which once stood here was used as a stage to publicly humiliate, shame and punish criminals for all to see. During the 1600’s Milan was suffering the deathly plague when Gian Giacomo Mora and Guglielmo Piazza were accused of being the precursors and source of the deadly disease.
In 1630 these two innocent men’s fates were sealed when they were sentenced to be punished by the wheel. Today the sculpture which replaces the Infamous Column is a stark reminder of the grave injustices of previous generations.