Among the most notorious personalities in the history of the Spanish inquisition, Tomás de Torquemada left an indelible mark on an era of tribunals, persecution, and stark orthodoxy. Torquemada is a central figure in popular biographies of medieval inquisitors and virtually every biography of famous executioners. He is regarded as one of the most infamous […]
The connection between medieval torture and medicine is more complex than it first appears. While the Middle Ages are remembered for cruelty and superstition, this period also laid foundations for medical knowledge that would shape future centuries. Through the brutal reality of punishment, war, and disease, healers and executioners gained experience in anatomy, pain relief, […]
When we leaf through the biographies of notorious executioners, we meet an unsettling cast of men who straddled the worlds of religion, law, and violence. Their deeds fill dusty archives, yet their shadows still stretch across modern discussions of justice and human rights. The Stage and Its Actors Public killings were scripted theatre. The gallows […]
Torture has always been a subject riddled with misconceptions, myths, and controversy. People unintentionally hold false beliefs about torture whether it’s in movies, books, or popular television. While false beliefs about torture are popular, in this article we will debunk 5 myths about torture you may believe, and shed light on the facts concerning torture […]
Throughout the Middle Ages, the boundaries between healing and cruelty often blurred. Physicians were not always seen solely as compassionate caretakers. In certain grim circumstances, they stood at the intersection of torture and medicine, lending their knowledge of the human body to systems of punishment and public executions. To modern readers, the very thought of […]
Stepping into the Medieval Torture Museum in Chicago, visitors expect to confront the raw brutality of history — chains, racks, and devices forged to inflict fear and pain. Yet, for many, what lingers longest is not just the iron and wood, but the unsettling sensation that something else moves in the shadows. Among the countless […]
The dark legacy of the Middle Ages lives on in the secrets of medieval dungeons, where stone walls, winding corridors, and hidden chambers served more than just the function of confinement. These spaces were deliberately shaped to inspire fear, enforce control, and make punishment a part of everyday life. To understand the truth behind these […]
When we think of medieval cruelty, images of iron chains, dungeons, and horrific torture devices come to mind. Yet one of the most terrifying punishments of the Middle Ages did not require weapons or flames. Medieval hunger torture was a slow and merciless method of punishment, based on the deprivation of food. A victim could […]
When the subject of medieval justice comes to mind, one tends to think of gallows, torture racks, and iron maidens. Rarely, however, do people recognize that at times, in addition to being mere victims, animals themselves served as executioners in the medieval system of punishment. This confusing period of justice interacts with themes of cruelty […]
