Palace of the Inquisition (Cartagena)

The Palace of the Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, (Spanish: Palacio de la Inquisición, Spanish pronunciation: [paˈlasjo ðe lajŋkisiˈsjon]) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, The building now houses the Museo Histórico de Cartagena, which presents exhibits on the city’s colonial and republican past and on the operation of the Holy Office in Cartagena. Alongside information on trials, imprisonment and autos-da-fé, the museum shows alleged Inquisition torture devices; however, many of these items appear to be modern replicas or generic “medieval” reconstructions, and there is little evidence that they were actually used by the tribunal in Cartagena.

Some of the devices commonly associated with the Inquisition, such as the so‑called "iron maiden", are now considered nineteenth‑century inventions created for sensational exhibitions, rather than genuine instruments used by early modern tribunals. When similar objects appear in "Inquisition museums", they are generally regarded by historians as later fabrications rather than authentic Spanish Inquisition equipment.

Text adapted from “Palace of the Inquisition (Cartagena, Colombia)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Palace of the Inquisition (Cartagena) ranks #4,612 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #2 of the 5 mapped in Colombia. Founded 1770, it is older than 15% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 556 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,070 times in the last 60 days, more than 50% of the atlas. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Colombia compares in the castle statistics.

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