Posts Tagged ‘Museum of Medieval Torture’
The Torture Museum of Guadalest
Posted on: November 1, 2020
- In: History | Spain | Travel
- 80 Comments
Guadalest is a great place and only about a little over an hour from our home in Spain. We often take out-of-town guests there for a day trip. I plan to write a post about it soon. But for today, I want to tell you about one of the many museums in this amazing place. The Torture Museum, perfect for Halloween! For those who write horror stories, you may get some ideas.
The museum is housed in a heritage building that feels creepy as soon as you enter.
The buliding consists of eleven small rooms on four levels with displays of more than 70 instruments of torture and execution used by the Inquisition, royalty and governments, not only in Spain but throughout medieval Europe. Some of the detailed descriptions were too gruesome for me to read. But the displays were well done and not too terrible to look at. Here are a few of them.
The French Bishop who invented the hanging cage ended up in one. How ironic is that? They could be seen hanging in alcoves of the royal castles to warn others what might happen should they disobey the king. Prisoners were often left to starve to death hanging in the cages, like this poor fellow.
The barrel was used to humiliate drunkards and people who spoke against the government or king. An iron mask was often put on the subject who would have to walk around town in the barrel while people threw slop and garbage in it.
I know these were used a long time ago, but I still couldn’t get over how cruel mankind can be.
- In: Spain | Travel
- 36 Comments
There has been less than one hour of rain in the past four months here on the Costa Blanca. Temperatures soared to over forty degrees Celsius in July and August so we didn´t feel like venturing very far. Things are now back to comfortable temperatures so we decided to take a bus to Les Fonts de Algar and the charming village of Guadalest tucked in the mountains. The waterfalls were pretty and we enjoyed our leisurely walk around them. Some brave souls took a dip in the clear turquoise waters but we decided to stay on dry ground.
Les Fonts de L´Algar
Once back on the bus, the heavens opened and it poured rain. Not a pleasant little shower but a deluge. It rained all the way up the twisty mountain road to Guadalest. Not prepared, we got totally soaked running from the bus to a nearby restaurant. After a nice meal, we purchased umbrellas and went exploring in the rain. To my delight, we discovered a Salt and Pepper Museum with over 20,000 salt and pepper shakers on display. A most pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon. Here are a few for you.
Guadalest is home to six museums, all quite unique. Time did not permit me to visit all of them and a couple were closed. I stopped in at a miniature museum which was also very interesting and well put together. I didn´t however visit the Museum of Medieval Torture as I am a bit squeamish, but it looked cool. Maybe next time.
Guadalest is a picturesque village with interesting streets and a castle overlooking it. Just as we were about to board the bus to return home, the sun came out!
Castell de Guadalest overlooking the town
The streets of Guadalest
Trust us to take this trip on one of the few rainy days. It was a good day in spite of it and we laughed all the way home. Fortunately, we had visited this place a few years ago on a sunny day.
Guadalest on a sunny day
