There is a truly magnificent building in the center of Cartagena. It immediately catches the eye: you feel like coming closer and examining its wrought-iron grills, balconies, and wall carvings above the stone entrance in the baroque style. But you can feel that there is something wrong with it. The building has some ominous aura, and the window grills are not, obviously, there for the beauty only...

The majestic walls of this ancient building hide the grim, illogical, and cruel reality of Columbia of the 17-19th centuries. Here, the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was located. Preaching Christianity, they slaughtered thousands of people here. The locals who entered these quaint doors being arrested on suspicion of heresy never saw the world again. Generally, the Holy Church persecuted people for magic, sorcery, and blasphemy.

The persecutions ended long ago, Inquisition fell, but the building, which was built in 1776, still stands. Inside this palatial complex, the Inquisition Museum is situated. You can learn here a lot about the life of Cartagena at that time, too. Here, the records and images of that time are displayed. The Palace of Inquisition is a memorial to all those who died during those times, and it is under the protection of UNESCO.

This is not a place for the faint of heart. When the iron gates are closed behind your back, you enter the rooms where many of Cartagena’s citizens were interrogated, tortured, and murdered. There is a prison where the condemned were awaiting their fates. The main exposition of the museum is devoted to torture equipment. Looking at these horrid tools, you will have shivers run down the spine because they all were a product of the ingenuity of executioners and were created for the sake of the faith and church. A part of the exhibits is located within the museum’s spacious halls, another one – in the inner yard.

Besides the torture equipment, the Inquisition Palace displays notes on how to spot out a witch with guiding questions and a scale to weigh sins. The most terrible thing is that all those exhibits are real and were actually used.