Inquisition Museum

I've been slacking with my Peru posts, so I thought I'd do a little catching up today. These pictures are from the Museo de la Inquisicion in Lima. I did not want to go to this place. I tried everything I could to argue and get out of it, but my powers of manipulation failed me. I didn't want to go because I read in the guidebook that they had wax figures being tortured how they did it during the Inquisition. That's just not my idea of a fun afternoon-looking at people being tortured. So anyway, I sucked it up and went with everyone else, but I did avert my eyes in the "torture room." I had kind of a hard time in the dungeons too because I knew that they were the actual dungeons (the museum was built where all of this actually occured) and that real people had been held captive and tortured there. Because I am slightly dramatic, I imagined that I could hear the people screaming. I know-drama queen, right!

My mom and me in front of the museum. I just noticed that the "a" in la has fallen over. This location in Lima was one of two tribunals that King Phillip II set up in the Americas. The other one was in Mexico.

When someone was accused of a crime (ex. witchcraft, blasphemy, homosexuality, etc.) it was done anonymously so they never knew who had accused them. They were then taken away and locked up to await their trial. Their property was also taken to pay for the "court costs" and to pay for their needs during their stay in the dungeon.

The accused were outfitted in a lovely robe and cap with a devil on it. I believe if they were actually executed, the cap was hung up in their local church with their name on it so that their family and everyone else would always know what happened.


They would then bring the accused in front of the judges to hear the charges. I think the judges either acquitted (very rare), suspended (be on your way but we're keeping an eye on you), found guilty and punished or found guilty and killed. There may be other verdicts, but I don't remember.

I think the torture was not so much punishment as it was a way to get a confession out of you in order to free your soul. I know, sounds kinda fishy, huh! I think this particular activity was meant to dislocate your shoulders or something. I think they also did it by the ankles too.

The rack was the method of choice.

I think this is called garroting. Sorry-I'm not up on my torture terminology.

This one is self-explanatory.

Oh, look! It's President Bush waterboarding a terrorist!

There was a group of nuns who went through before us. They seemed out of place in a museum about Catholic torture.