Colonna infame, Pillar of shame in Piazza Vacchero, Prè district, Italy

The Colonna Infame is a stone column in Piazza Vacchero in the Prè district, marked by Latin inscriptions on its surface. It was erected on the site of a demolished house and remains partially hidden by a fountain built in 1644 by descendants of the Vachero family.

The column was erected in memory of Giulio Cesare Vachero, a Genoese adventurer who in 1628 joined a conspiracy against the oligarchic Republic of Genoa in favour of the House of Savoy, which sought the Ligurian territory. The conspirators were discovered on 31 March 1628 and executed on 31 May of the same year. Vachero's house was razed and the column built on its site; in 1644 his descendants obtained permission to build a large fountain at the entrance of Piazza Vachero, partly to conceal it.

The column stands in the small square, Piazza Vacchero, created by demolishing Vachero's house along Via del Campo. In 1644 his descendants obtained permission to build a large fountain at the entrance to the square, partly to screen the column from view. The site is still known by his name.

The column stands near Via del Campo in the heart of the Prè district and is easily accessible from the old town streets. The overlapping fountain makes it photographically challenging, so trying different angles will help you see it clearly.

The column stands in the small square created by demolishing Vachero's house, and in 1644 his descendants obtained permission to build a large fountain at the entrance of Piazza Vachero, partly screening the monument. The square lies along Via del Campo in the Prè district.