The Column of Infamy - Genoa's Memorial to Treason

In Via del Campo (Old Town), look for a small square with a fountain and a stone stele. This is the Colonna Infame.

The Conspiracy (1628)

Giulio Cesare Vachero, a rich merchant, plotted to overthrow the Republic and hand Genoa to the Duke of Savoy.

• The Punishment: He was beheaded. His house was razed to the ground. His children were banished.
• The Inscription: The column states that "cursed be his memory" forever. Even in stone, Genoa does not forgive traitors easily.