Postcard BR-227131

Pelourinho means 'stone column', mounted in the public square, with brass or iron pendant for tieing up and publicly whipping condemned criminals and rebellious slaves.

As the 1st capital of portuguese America, Salvador cultivated slave labor and had its pelourinhos installed in open places like Terreiro de Jesus and squares known today as Thomé de Souza and Castro Alves.

A pelourinho was a symbol of authority and justice, and ended up lending its name to the architectural complex of Pelourinho, an integrated part of our city's historical center.