Las cárceles inquisitoriales del tribunal de Córdoba

Abstract

This article studies the conditions in the cells of the Court of the Inquisition in Cordova: the secrets cells, those for life imprisonment, the family cells and those for women. The bad conditions of the premises and the appalling living conditions of ministers and prisoners were generalized. This was due, to a large extent, to the carelessness of the Inquisition in regard to alleviating the architectural collapse of the site, to the misappropriation of the funds aimed at its maintenance, to its inconsistent renovation and to the understanding of what a jail should be at that time. All this shows a discouraging panorama which produced widespread disease among the prisoners and reactions such as escaping, refusing to eat, pretending to be mad, trying to commit suicide and, finally, their death.