Spanish Inquisition Torture Information - Name: Abby J...

Name: Abby J Hour: Score:
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
Edgar Allan Poe
Video link: [34:49]
(It is the Literate Louse animated version. You may need to view it in a non-school account.)
Background Info:
The Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834) was a tribunal court system used by the Catholic Church to oppress and
punish people holding different opinions at odds with what is generally accepted. Based on Roman law, the
inquisitorial system differed from other court systems as the courts themselves tried the accused. In practice,
the Spanish Inquisition served to consolidate power in the monarchy of the newly unified Spanish kingdom,
but it achieved that end through infamously brutal methods. Thousands were burned at the stake
under Torquemada , the most notorious of the grand inquisitors, and tens of thousands were killed during the
forced expulsion of Moriscos (Spanish Muslims who had been baptized as Christians) which began in 1609.
How did the Inquisitions Work?
When the Inquisition opened an investigation in an area, inquisitors typically would offer comparatively light
penances to those who were willing to admit their own involvement in heresy . Those confessions were used to
identify other “heretics,” who were brought before a tribunal. At this trial, the accused received no assistance
to defend themselves, they were frequently ignorant of the charges against them, and confessions were often
obtained through coercion, confiscation of property, or torture. If the accused were found guilty, the sentence
would be announced at an auto-da-fé