Judas Chair – Terrifying Medieval Torture Device

The Judas Chair dates back to the period of the Spanish Inquisition (1542-1834) . The chair looked unimpressive, but it foreshadowed a terrifying end for anyone who fell on the razor-sharp end.

According to allthatsinteresting, the period of the Spanish Inquisition was a period of unprecedented and brutal torture methods.

Judas Chair - Terrifying Medieval Torture Device
Painting of execution of prisoners with Judas chair. (Photo: allthatsinteresting).

In fact, some of the most notorious torture methods in history were used by the coroners of the time to punish those who were alleged to have committed crimes, including devices such as racks, wheels, etc. and water torture. However, a lesser known torture method favored by the Spaniards was the Judas chair. Strangely, they consider the Judas chair to be one of the most humane methods of torture.

This Judas chair itself doesn’t have much to describe. It consists of a wooden pyramid placed on top of three or four wooden chair legs. The Judas Chair looks like a stool, but admittedly, no one wants to sit on it. The chair was placed in a corner of the torture chamber. Victims are suspended above and will be slowly lowered to the pyramidal tip of the Judas chair, sometimes strapped with extra weight.

The Spanish Inquisition (a court set up to try people whom the government considers heretics) used this chair for torture, but it was originally the idea of an Italian lawyer. named Hippolytus De Marsiliis , aka Ippolito Marsili. Notably, Marsili was also the one who introduced water torture.

Marsili studied law in Bologna with other notables such as Andrea Barbazza, Vincenzo Paleotti and Alberto Cattani, later becoming a favorite student of Felino Sandeo, who served as president of canon law in Ferrara and Pisa for one year. time.

Marsili himself received a doctorate in utroque iure (a doctorate in civil and church law) in 1480. Two years later he won the chair of the faculty of civil law, later becoming a mentor. for Antonio Burgos and Paolo d’Oria. Throughout his career, Marsili had many students and gave countless lectures, many of which were also recorded in his book.

But Marsili is perhaps best known for the various torture methods he devised. Many of the judges of Mr. Marsili’s day tended to enjoy torture, and although he saw torture as an extreme act, not entertainment, his brain produced a number of techniques. most brutal torture.

Water torture, for example, is created by watching water wear away parts of a rock. Or as a measure to force the victim to stay awake while sitting in a chair. Sometimes, prisoners have to stay awake for 40 hours straight.

Of course, Marsili also came up with the Judas chair. It’s not clear why or under what circumstances Marsili came up with the idea of the Judas chair. Presumably, Marsili and those well-versed in ecclesiastical law spent a lot of time inventing torture techniques and the Judas chair was just one result of that process.

Marsili also considers many of his torture techniques humane. Even the Judas chair is only intended to keep a person awake and from sleeping. However, those who apply the form of torture with the Judas chair have found a way to torture the victim.

Although a measure that Marsili considered humane, because torturers rarely cleaned the wooden pyramids, many prisoners died from infections caused by dried blood and feces left on them.

Around the time Marsili devised his “humane” torture techniques , other members of the Church of Spain were using a variety of torture methods they had learned over the years.

There aren’t many ground rules for investigators, which means they are free to dig into information whenever and however they want. In fact, the High Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada rose to prominence through his cruelty and later used his power to expel over 160,000 Jews from Spain.

Judas Chair - Terrifying Medieval Torture Device
A Judas chair on display in the museum. (Photo: Twitter).

In addition, any Jews or Muslims who remained and converted were immediately targeted by Torquemada and his investigators. Most of them argue that people who convert to Christianity are not for the right reasons. Instead, he said, many people converted simply out of fear of death.

Although Torquemada was one of the most ruthless investigators as he personally oversaw 2,000 executions in his day, he was hardly the only one to impose harsh punishments on criminals. who are considered heretics.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, until the mid-18th century, the Spanish Inquisition continued to hunt, hunt, convict, and kill with Torquemada’s favorite punishment: auto-da-fé, i.e. “act for faith”. Basically, this is a form of burning someone alive to force them to confess their sins. Needless to say, most people did not survive, even if they did confess.

Besides that, however, Spanish investigators regularly used other forms of brutal torture, such as Spanish donkeys, stands, knee separators and, of course, Judas chairs.

Of course, like many other ancient devices of torture, visitors to the Museum of Torture in Spain can see for themselves what the Judas chair looked like. In fact, the museum has two different models on display: one that looks like a small pyramid attached to four legs at each corner, and another with the pyramid perched on a pointed top, almost like an arrow on the four legs of a chair.

The Judas Chair is undoubtedly one of the most horrifying methods of torture in history , but ironically it was considered relatively humane at the time .