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The Palace of the Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, ( es, Palacio de la Inquisición ) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, it currently serves as a museum showcasing historical artifacts. Among the many historical artifacts, the museum displays torture equipment used on victims during the inquisition. These items were removed from display in 2015 prior to visits to Colombia by Pope Francis. They have since partially returned and are again on display. The museum has been described as "one of the finer buildings" in Cartagena. Cited as one of Cartagena's "best examples of late colonial, civil architecture", it faces the ''Parque de Bolívar''.
The Palace is built in Spanish Colonial style, with elements from the
File:Palace of the Inquisition in 1875 (Cartagena, Colombia).jpg, Palace of the Inquisition in 1875 (cleaned photo).
File:Cartagena, La Inquisicion.jpg, Palace of the Inquisition in 1893.
History
The establishment of the Palace was decreed byPhilip III of Spain
Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621.
A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...
. Since Cartagena was a center of commerce, a transit point between the Caribbean and Spanish settlements in western South America, the city became the third in the Spanish empire to have a tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Some merchants were Portuguese and suspected of being crypto-Jews (Jews passing as Christian). During the period 1580–1640, the crown of Portugal and that of Spain were ruled by the same monarch, and the period saw many Portuguese merchants active in Spain's overseas colonies. Established in 1610, the current building was completed much later. The Palace was used by Inquisition to try Jews and other non-Catholics and about 800 individuals believed guilty of crimes such as black magic were publicly executed there.
Architecture
The Palace is built in Spanish Colonial style, with elements from the Baroque era
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...
. A crucifix occupies one of the walls facing a torture equipment. The white brick structure has gateways made of stone. The rooms of the Palace are mostly made up of masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...
. The framework of the Palace is built out of wood; double-storey limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
s were also used in the making of the Palace. The museum displays coins, maps, weapons, furniture, church bells, and depictions of notable generals, in addition to the torture equipment used previously. The Palace was partially restored to preserve Colombia's cultural heritage.
Yale University Library
The Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Originating in 1701 with the gift of several dozen books to a new "Collegiate School," the library's collection now contains approximately 14.9 mill ...
.
File:Corredor del Palacio de la Inquisición.jpg, Colonial corridor
File:Ventana de la Denuncia Inquisicion CTG 11 2019 1637.jpg, Anonymous Complaint Window
See also
*List of colonial buildings in Cartagena, Colombia This is a list of impórtant colonial buiildings in Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coas ...
* Mexican Inquisition
The Mexican Inquisition was an extension of the Spanish Inquisition into New Spain. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was not only a political event for the Spanish, but a religious event as well. In the early 16th century, the Reformat ...
* Peruvian Inquisition
* Architecture of Colombia
Colombia's architectural heritage includes Spanish colonial architecture including Catholic churches. Its modern architecture represents various International Style architecture. In the postmodern architecture era a wave of innovate and striking b ...
Notes
References
{{Authority control Museums in Colombia Palaces in Colombia Houses completed in 1770 Tourist attractions in Cartagena, Colombia Buildings and structures in Cartagena, Colombia Spanish Colonial architecture in Colombia 1770 establishments in the Spanish Empire