Inquisition House

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Portalegre > Castelo de Vide > Castelo de Vide > Castelo

Location

Located in the historic Castle area, in Castelo de Vide, the House of the Inquisition is set in an urban environment that evokes the town's historical heritage. The site provides immediate contextualization with the ancestral fabric of the locality, being situated in the area that gave the town its name.

Its position in the Castle area places it on an elevated level of the town, allowing visitors to feel the atmosphere of its oldest and most traditional center.

A Journey into the Past of the Inquisition

It is not a museum in the traditional sense, but rather an experience designed to transport visitors to the time of the Holy Office. The narrative is built upon the Inquisition's own regulations, illustrating the procedures and environments people were subjected to when involved in its processes.

The historical approach is the result of in-depth research, which included the study of hundreds of inquisitorial processes related to inhabitants of Castelo de Vide, lending authenticity and rigor to the thematic journey.

A Building with History

The House of the Inquisition occupies a remarkable 17th-century mansion, formerly a bourgeois house that belonged to a wealthy family of New Christians. This building, classified as of municipal interest, was carefully restored to house the project.

Inside, the mansion preserves important traces of its past, including an 18th-century chapel and indications of what might have been an old tabernacle, revealing a dimension linked to Crypto-Judaism and the beliefs of its former inhabitants.

Sensory and Immersive Experience

To make the visit more engaging, the space integrates sensory and technological elements. Hyper-realistic figures, molded from local volunteers, recreate scenes from the era and bring to life the historical figures who lived or were judged in this context. Sound design contributes to a deep auditory immersion in the atmosphere of yesteryear.

Furthermore, interpretive panels detail the historical content in each room, complemented by augmented reality resources. These allow virtual characters to appear via a mobile device, describing the respective spaces, offering an autonomous and informative visit.

Memory and Knowledge

The creation of the House of the Inquisition represents a tribute to the victims of the Holy Office, seeking to honor their memory. The project aims to fill a gap in knowledge about this crucial period of Portuguese history, offering an innovative and deeply striking perspective on a sensitive topic.

The space seeks to consolidate the understanding of the Inquisition in Portugal, focusing on the human experience and the procedures that marked that era, contributing to a reflection on freedom and tolerance.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt