Museum of Torture Instruments

Museum in San Marino

San Marino Tortura — CC BY-SA 3.0 / Corradox

The Museum of Torture and Medieval Criminology in San Marino is dedicated to exploring the techniques and methods that humans have historically employed to exert control and power over one another.

The collection on display comprises over 100 tools and devices dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, as well as reconstructions from the 19th and 20th centuries. These tools were designed to inflict physical pain, unimaginable suffering, and even death upon their victims.

Among the exhibits are devices with evocative names such as the inquisitorial chair, knee splitter, guillotine, stretching bench, slacker’s necklace, and scourge. Visitors can observe these medieval torture instruments up close.

While the exhibition focuses on the criminal practices of the medieval period, it also aims to raise awareness about various forms of torture, intolerance, and violence that persist in modern times, including anti-Semitism, racism, and war. The museum hosts cultural initiatives to promote awareness of these issues.

What sets this museum apart from similar collections is its possession of lesser-known and rare tools, including the Flaying Cat, Spanish Spiders, and Heretic’s Fork.

The Museum of Torture Instruments appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting San Marino!

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Visiting Museum of Torture Instruments

Hours:

Summer: from Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Winter: in November and January open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in December open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price:

€8,50

Address: Museum of Medieval Criminology and Torture, Porta San Francesco, San Marino

Duration: 20 minutes

Official Website