Strappado

Strappado

One of the most frequent tortures was certainlythe Strappado. How was it done? The main method was the following: the victims had his hands tied behind his back, then another rope was passed between the arms

and was tied. The end of the rope was attached to a pulley and the victim was held a few meters from the ground, therefore all his weight was on his shoulders.

The strappado, also known as corda, is a form of torture in which the victim's hands are tied behind their back and the victim is suspended by a rope attached to the wrists, typically resulting in dislocated shoulders. Weights may be added to the body to intensify the effect and increase the pain. This kind of torture would generally not last more than an hour without rest, as it would otherwise likely result in death

Other names for strappado include "reverse hanging", "Palestinian hanging" and il tormento della corda. It was employed by the medieval Inquisition and many governments,[10] such as the civil law court (1543–1798) of the Order of St. John at the Castellania in Valletta, Malta.

The proper application of the strappado technique causes permanent but not visible damage. The levels of pain and resistance vary by victim depending on the victim's weight and any additional weights added to the body. It is not, as Samuel Johnson erroneously entered in A Dictionary of the English Language, a "chastisement by blows."

According to William Godwin, Girolamo Savonarola was tortured by strappado multiple times before being put to death in a trial by ordeal (fire). However, Savonarola apparently renounced his confessions after being tortured, and he was sentenced to be burned at the stake. This device was thought to be used during the Salem witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 to torture accused witches.

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