The Inquisition -- When Religion Was Really Fun

One of the more interesting, and eye opening tours, is the Inquisition Museum in the historic district of Cartagena. The Inquisition was part of the Roman Catholic Church's goal of stamping out heresy. Amazingly, it ran for nearly 700 years from the 12th century to just after the Napoleonic Wars.

Touring the Inquisition Museum was a little creepy when you think this was the actual location where atrocities were carried out in the name of religion. The beautiful little square in front of the museum was the site of beheadings, decapitations, and beatings.  As they say, the Spanish ran a tight ship.

This window, along the side of the Inquisition building, was where you "drive by" and accuse your neighbors of witchcraft.

Any woman under the weight of 120 pounds could possibly be witches since you could fly if you were that light. Probably put the damper on dieting among women.

This is a list of the questions a suspected witch would be asked during her interrogation.

All of the the torture devices were designed to cause enough pain to get one to either recant, or convert to Catholicism. As they were questioning you, they would slowly drive the screw into the back of your head.

This ingenious device would slowly crush your fingers if your offer to convert didn't come soon enough.

This neck collar gives new meaning to the practice of acupuncture.

The tool of choice for the Inquisitioner:  The Rack.

If being drawn and quartered weren't enough, they would sometimes set people on fire.

Women accused of adultery were summarily beheaded.

The square outside the Inquisition building was the site of frequent public executions.

Having sat many times in this square outside the Inquisition Museum watching the kids play, it was hard to imagine the history of this desecrated ground.