Politics has a prominent position in Peru. It can not be otherwise, the whole history of the country since the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century has a political form. In the Museum of Congress and the Inquisition these traces are collected and condensed.
The museum is located in one of the oldest buildings in Lima. The building has a portal with pillars dating from 1570 and is located a few blocks southeast of the Plaza Mayor. It served several purposes throughout the centuries. While after the conquest of Peru, the Inquisition of the Catholic Church, until its abolition in 1820, had its facilities in the building, the building served after the declaration of independence of Peru from Spain as the seat of Congress and later of the Senate. The museum has been representing these two parts of history since 1968, in the original premises. The museum is very popular, it is one of the most visited museums in Lima. Find out why.
The Inquisition in Peru
With the Spanish immigrants, the Catholic Church came to Peru. And with the Catholic Church the Inquisition. The exhibition in the museum offers an overview of the halls and the organization of the Inquisition.
For example, visitors will learn interesting facts about the conditions of detention of prisoners. Whereas in the public cells, the food was quite good and the visits were allowed, the prisoners of the secret cells had to conform to a lower standard. Of course, it was the seriousness of the crime that determined the Inquisition, which, as you know, was not always fair. There is also a secret chamber that contains all the important documents, an interrogation room and a process room. The highlight of the set is the torture chamber with its various instruments. In all the rooms, the processes of the Inquisition are shown in scenes reconstructed at full size. Visitors can get a good picture of what it was centuries ago in this building.
After independence: The Congress of Peru
After Peru gained independence from Spain in 1821, a congressional constitutional congress was established in 1822. The upstairs rooms of the Museo de la Inquisicion y del Congreso are dedicated to this section of history.
The bright rooms contrast with the gloom of the cameras used by the Inquisition. Particularly the room that is worth seeing is the meeting of the Senate with its Rococo ceiling. It is one of the most magnificent rooms of the palace. Another room represents the history of the congress. In addition to the halls, which are directly related to the history of the Inquisition and the Congress, the museum has a room where remains of an aqueduct dating from before the arrival of the Spaniards were found. The patio should also be considered. Because it is an example of the art that was present in all the representative buildings: the patterns made of Sevillian tiles decorate the walls and the floor, in the center of which there is a fountain.
Museo de la Inquisición y del Congreso
Address:
Plaza Bolivar, Jirón Junín, Cercado de Lima
Opening Hour: Mo. – So. 09:00 – 17:00
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