“Untore!” The cry echoes through the narrow streets. We stand at the site of the Colonna Infame Plaque a place marked by tragedy and injustice. It’s a chilling reminder of a dark chapter in Milan’s history.
This Colonna Infame Plaque marks the spot where the house of Gian Giacomo Mora once stood. Mora was a barber unjustly accused and brutally executed during the plague of 1630. His story is intertwined with fear superstition and the desperate search for someone to blame during a devastating epidemic.
Let’s journey back to 1630. Milan is in the grip of a terrible plague. Panic grips the city. People seek answers and scapegoats. Whispers spread of “untori” individuals deliberately spreading the disease with poisonous concoctions.
One day a woman named Caterina Troccazzani Rosa saw a man walking suspiciously. She claimed he was smearing something on the walls. This man was Guglielmo Piazza a health commissioner. Piazza was arrested and accused of being an “untore.”
Under torture Piazza implicated Gian Giacomo Mora a local barber. Mora also made and sold an ointment believed to protect against the plague. This was enough to condemn him.
Mora was arrested and tortured. He eventually confessed to being an “untore.” Both Mora and Piazza were sentenced to death. Their punishment was gruesome. They were tortured on the wheel their bodies burned and their ashes scattered.
The authorities razed Mora’s house. In its place they erected the Colonna Infame a column of infamy. A plaque was placed nearby detailing their crimes. It served as a warning to others. The message was clear: this is what happens to those who spread disease.
But as time passed people began to question the justice of the trial. Doubts arose about the confessions extracted through torture. The Colonna Infame became a symbol not of guilt but of judicial error.
In 1778 the Colonna Infame was removed. The plaque however was preserved. It is now housed in the Sforzesco Castle. Today a sculpture and this Colonna Infame Plaque mark the site. It serves as a memorial to Gian Giacomo Mora and Guglielmo Piazza. It is a reminder of the dangers of fear and prejudice.
The plaque includes a quote from Alessandro Manzoni’s “The History of the Colonna Infame.” Manzoni wrote “It is a relief to think that if they did not know what they were doing it was because they did not want to know it.” This speaks to the willful ignorance that fueled the injustice.
The story of the Colonna Infame is a cautionary tale. It reminds us to question authority to seek truth and to uphold justice even in times of crisis. Let us remember Gian Giacomo Mora and Guglielmo Piazza. May their story inspire us to be vigilant against injustice and to stand up for the truth.