Palacio de La Inquisicion (Palace of the Inquisition), Cartagena

The former seat of the once mighty (and fearsome) Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, overlooking Parque de Bolívar, is an 18th-century architectural landmark, part of Colombia's cultural heritage. Established by the decree of Philip III of Spain, the Inquisition Palace took more than a century to build, from 1610 to 1770.

Between 1580 and 1640, the crowns of Portugal and Spain were held by the same monarch, and thus many Portuguese merchants were active in Spanish overseas colonies. At that time, Cartagena was a center of commerce and a transit point between the Caribbean and Spanish settlements in western South America. It became the third city in the Spanish empire to have a tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

The necessity to have it was prompted by suspicion that some of the merchants – of Portuguese descent, mainly – were crypto-Jews (i.e. secret practitioners of Judaism passing as Christians). The Palace was used by the Inquisition to try Jews and other non-Catholics; some 800 individuals, believed to be guilty of crimes such as black magic, were publicly executed here.

As of 1953, the property has been in the hands of the Historical Museum of Cartagena. Among the many historical artifacts exhibited here now (such as coins, maps, weapons, furniture, church bells, and paintings), there is also torture equipment previously used on victims within these walls during the Inquisition time. Notably, some of these items were removed from display in 2015, ahead of the visit of Pope Francis, and then partially returned.

Cited as one of Cartagena's "best examples of late colonial, civil architecture", the Palace also contains elements from the Baroque era. Its wooden framework is reinforced with double-story limestones used in the construction. The white brick facade is contrasted by stone gateways. Inside, the rooms are also clad in masonry.