Picota
Pza. del Castillo, s/n
30859
ALEDO
Telephone: +34 696 962 116
e-mail: turismo@aledo.es
www.aledo.es
It is named after pico (pillory) because the heads and body parts of those who were executed were stuck on these pillories. This construction is a sign of feudal oppression. During the Middle Ages prisoners were tortured till confession and then exposed to the public, tied up to the pillories so that people would throw stones and insults at them. On 26th May 1813 the Cortes of Cádiz ordered to destroy all the pillories to ensure the freedom of the inhabitants.
Aledo's pillory was built in the 16th century, after 25th July 1592, when the village was granted independence from the Order of Santiago and got the right to have its own prison and pillory.
Originally, Aledo's pillory was just a log firmly fixed to the ground. To provide it with greater stability, it was later covered with bricks, remaining unchanged until our days.
Shackles are still kept and spikes where prisoners were tied up or had their members stuck on are still visible.
Structure: it has a cylindrical structure covered by a layer of bricks which prevents it from wearing away.