Pelourinho, Stone pillory monument in Cidade Velha, Cape Verde

The Pelourinho is a light beige marble column in Manueline style, standing on the main square of Cidade Velha on Santiago Island. The column was carved from marble brought from Portugal and rises as a single shaft at the square's centre.

The white marble column was erected in 1512 or 1520, making it one of Cape Verde's oldest monuments. It stood at the main square as a symbol of municipal power and of slavery: rebellious slaves were publicly punished at the pelourinho. It was restored at the end of the 1960s, and the historic centre of Cidade Velha became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2009.

Its Portuguese name means "pillory", and the column stood at the main square as the symbol of municipal justice, tied to the feudal lord's jurisdiction. In a slave-trading town, rebellious slaves were publicly punished and humiliated there alongside other offenders.

The column stands on the main square (Praça do Pelourinho) in the historic centre of Cidade Velha, a short walk from the seafront and the other monuments of the old town. The square is open and can be visited at any time; the marble column is viewed from ground level, so no climbing is involved.

The column is carved from marble brought from Portugal, not local stone, and it was restored at the end of the 1960s. It stands on the main square of Cidade Velha, the town's historic centre that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2009.