Museo de Antiguos Instrumentos de Tortura

About the museum

Antiguos Instrumentos de Tortura is one of the cultural exhibitions that the company Cultura Entretenida offers in the historic centre of Toledo, alongside those devoted to catapults, the Templars and witchcraft. It is presented in the Sala de Exposiciones Alfonso XII, a building that the exhibition itself dates to the 15th century.

The exhibition brings together a selection of the torture and capital punishment devices most used by Inquisition courts, both ecclesiastical and civil, in Spain and in other European countries; according to the organisers, most of the machines on show come from the civil courts, the cruellest. It is organised into five sections: the first two explain the social, political and religious setting in which the courts operated, and the rest present the devices and their use in torture sessions.

The organisers say they want to avoid gloominess and morbid curiosity: they aim for visitors to understand the real scale of the Inquisition’s activity, its organisation, its influence as censor of ideas and attitudes, and its consequences for society at the time. Alongside the instruments are displayed texts and engravings that help put each piece in context.

Highlights

• Selection of torture and capital punishment devices from European Inquisition courts
• Five-section route on the activity of the Inquisition
• Texts and engravings that put the pieces in context
• 15th-century building in the historic centre
• Combined tickets with the other exhibitions of the same company

Permanent exhibition

• Antiguos Instrumentos de Tortura – Torture and capital punishment devices used by European Inquisition courts, with texts and engravings, arranged in five sections.

Operated by

Cultura Entretenida (Exposiciones Culturales Toledo)

Admission & discounts

The prices correspond to one exhibition. Packs combine this exhibition with those on catapults, witchcraft and the Templars.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The exhibition room is on calle Alfonso XII, in the historic centre of Toledo.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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