Free Tour of the Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition is one of the most controversial institutions in history and a symbol of terror and death for millions of people in Spain and Latin America, but what was really behind the myth?
Discover the dark secrets of the Court of the Holy Inquisition on this walking tour of Madrid. On a circular route, we will start and end our route in the Plaza Mayor , where the largest Auto de Fe held by the Inquisition in the Villa y Corte took place, in 1680. Along the way, we will discover many of the places that were the scene of the activity of the Holy Office (such as the Convent of Santo Domingo, located in the square of the same name, the Convent of the Encarnación or the headquarters of its last Court, on Torija Street). We will also learn about some of the most shady events linked to the institution in Madrid, such as those that motivated the great Auto de Fe of 1632, and we will remember great historical figures whose destiny was linked to that of the Inquisition: from the brilliant painter Diego de Velázquez to the dark first Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada , to the powerful Count Duke of Olivares or the controversial royal secretary Antonio Pérez.

• How many people lost their lives because of the Inquisition?
• What types of crimes did the inquisitorial justice investigate and what types of punishment and torture did it apply?
• What was the purity of the blood?
• What was the relationship between the Holy Office and the Spanish Monarchy?
• Was there a real witch hunt in the country?

This tour sheds light on one of the darkest sides of Spanish history, helping to understand many of the historical, political, social and cultural phenomena that have defined us for centuries.
You can't miss it!