Cascais Pillory, Sculpture in Cascais, Portugal
The Pilori de Cascais is a sculpture in the town of Cascais, in the Cascais e Estoril area of Portugal. It stands in a small square in the old part of town and takes the form of a tall stone or metal post, the kind once used as a pillory for public punishment.
The pillory was a legal instrument in medieval Portuguese towns, marking a community's right to administer justice and carry out public punishments. The Pilori de Cascais recalls that period, when Cascais was still a small fishing village beginning to develop its own local authority.
The Pilori de Cascais sits in the old town center of Cascais and is easy to reach on foot, as it is close to the main square. A short walk through the narrow streets of the neighborhood leads right to it.
Although the pillory is today seen as a symbol of punishment, in medieval times it was also a mark of status: only towns that had been granted the right to self-governance were allowed to have one. Owning a pillory meant the town held officially recognized rights.
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