The public condemnations of the Tribunal of the Holy Office terrorised Spain for centuries. Travel through time to one of the darkest eras of the country's history: discover the spine-chilling secrets of the Spanish Inquisition on a dramatised route around Madrid.
Dramatised Inquisition Walking Tour
You'll begin your Spanish Inquisition walking tour of Madrid at dusk in Plaza de la Provincia. Look deep into the gloom... someone is waiting for you. Dressed head-to-toe in Medieval Gothic attire and holding a flickering lantern, your professional storyteller will loom out of the shadows. Join them and prepare for your journey back in time to the era of the Black Legend of Spain.
In front of you, the majestic Palace of the Holy Cross stands imposingly. These days the location of the Spanish foreign affairs ministry, your guide will reveal the truth of its sinister past as the Cárcel de Corte, or state prison, where heretics would be condemned to death by burning at the stake.
Following your storyteller through a darkening cobbled alleyway, you'll reach Plaza Mayor. The elegant square, a popular tourist attraction, has not always been a happy place. During the Spanish Inquisition, the historic plaza would play host to the most gruesome spectacle of all: the auto-da-fé, or the public torturing and executions of the accused. These morbid shows served to warn the locals of their potential fate should they take a wrong step.
While you learn all about the historical background of the Tribunal of the Holy Office, you'll wander past ancient churches and monasteries, as well as visiting the sites where dungeons, prisons and gallows were located.
After journeying deep into the past and discovering the chilling ghost stories and tales of atrocities committed in the darkest days of the Spanish empire, you'll finish your tour - you'll never look at Madrid the same way again!
Important
- This dramatised route around Madrid does not enter any monuments or museums, just visiting the outsides.
- The activity is not recommended for children under 10 years old.
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