Pilar de la Plaza and medieval jails

The medieval jail of Cretas, located on the emblematic Plaza Mayor, is a striking testimony to the legal and judicial history of the town. This historic complex includes a picota, an imposing column erected in 1584 that dominates the centre of the square. Local tradition tells that the upper iron rings of this picota, now disappeared, were used to display the heads of executed convicts, a stark reminder of the justice of the era.

The jails consist of two adjoining rooms of small dimensions. Their entrance doors are small and rectangular in shape, preserving the authenticity of their original design. The interior is meticulously built in ashlar masonry and rubble masonry, culminating in a slightly lintelled stone vault that adds a sober and robust character to the space. On the first floor, a strategic trapdoor provides access to one of the rooms, suggesting the functionality and rigour of these spaces of confinement.

The public monument of the picota is a singular architectural work, composed of two superimposed columns of different thicknesses, the lower one being noticeably wider than the upper. At the junction of both columns and at the top of the monument, two Doric capitals can be seen, lending elegance to its structure. Above the capital of the upper column, an iron medallion proudly displays the coat of arms of the town, symbolising the local authority of bygone times.

The complex of the picota and the jail are not merely architectural elements; they are silent narrators of the administration of justice and the punishment of crimes in the Middle Ages in Cretas, offering a deep and interesting insight into local history and its traditions.