Museum of Torture and the Death Penalty, San Gimignano
The Museum of Torture (Museo della Tortura) examines historical torture methods and devices and the death penalty respectively. The museum is two buildings located near Saint John's Gate (Porta San Giovanni), the south entrance to the walled Old Town. The emphasis seems to be on the exhibition of human depravity in its lethal systems of Justice.
The Museum of Torture has a vast collection of machines and implements devoted to the infliction of suffering on felons and "heretics." The displays are staffed with life-like human models giving and receiving torments that boggle the imagination. But all this, while absorbing, is not meant as entertainment.
A chair at the museum is "upholstered" with 1300 spikes. The chair is equipped with bars and restraints to force a body against the spikes. Some chairs come with a "hot seat," heated with hot coals.
The Maiden of Nuremberg is an upright sarcophagus with a spiked inner chamber and a woman's face. As the door is closed the victim is penetrated by the spikes. It made for a lasting and painfully confining experience.
"Branks" were all-enclosing head masks covering the eyes, mouth and ears. The masks were shaped to humiliate and silence persons as they were tortured. The "heretic's fork" was used to penetrate the clavicular notch and the chin. Any movement was painful.
Death penalty exhibits include the garrote and the guillotine. One section of the museum is dedicated to witchcraft, witch hunts and the Inquisition Tribunal.
The Museum of Torture has a vast collection of machines and implements devoted to the infliction of suffering on felons and "heretics." The displays are staffed with life-like human models giving and receiving torments that boggle the imagination. But all this, while absorbing, is not meant as entertainment.
A chair at the museum is "upholstered" with 1300 spikes. The chair is equipped with bars and restraints to force a body against the spikes. Some chairs come with a "hot seat," heated with hot coals.
The Maiden of Nuremberg is an upright sarcophagus with a spiked inner chamber and a woman's face. As the door is closed the victim is penetrated by the spikes. It made for a lasting and painfully confining experience.
"Branks" were all-enclosing head masks covering the eyes, mouth and ears. The masks were shaped to humiliate and silence persons as they were tortured. The "heretic's fork" was used to penetrate the clavicular notch and the chin. Any movement was painful.
Death penalty exhibits include the garrote and the guillotine. One section of the museum is dedicated to witchcraft, witch hunts and the Inquisition Tribunal.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Gimignano. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Museum of Torture and the Death Penalty on Map
Sight Name: Museum of Torture and the Death Penalty
Sight Location: San Gimignano, Italy (See walking tours in San Gimignano)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Gimignano, Italy (See walking tours in San Gimignano)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Gimignano, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in San Gimignano
Creating your own self-guided walk in San Gimignano is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
San Gimignano Introduction Walking Tour
Visitors are universally spellbound when they discover San Gimignano, one of the many jewels in the crown of Italy鈥檚 Tuscany. The reason for this lies in the well-preserved feudal atmosphere and appearance from the Middle Ages with its architectural integrity and original intact urban layout.
The history of the town dates back to the Etruscan period. However, it was during the Middle Ages... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
The history of the town dates back to the Etruscan period. However, it was during the Middle Ages... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
San Gimignano Towers Walk
Known as the 鈥淢anhattan of the Middle Ages鈥�, San Gimignano is renowned for its collection of medieval skyscrapers whose verticality and density produce a rather unique and impressive sight.
Clustered together, these slender towers served as both family homes and status symbols for the noble families who built them. Apart from showcasing the prosperity and influence of their owners, they... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.2 Km or 0.1 Miles
Clustered together, these slender towers served as both family homes and status symbols for the noble families who built them. Apart from showcasing the prosperity and influence of their owners, they... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.2 Km or 0.1 Miles