Palacio de la Inquisición

Palacio de la Inquisición Review

Arguably Cartagena's most visited tourist site documents the darkest period in the city's history. A baroque limestone doorway marks the entrance to the 1770 Palace of the Inquisition, the headquarters of the repressive arbiters of political and spiritual orthodoxy who once exercised jurisdiction over Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Although the museum displays benign colonial and pre-Columbian artifacts, everyone congregates on the ground floor to "Eeewww!" over the implements of torture—racks and thumbscrews, to name but two. We recommend you hire an English-speaking guide since many of the displays need explainations and all signs are in Spanish.