The Tower of the Inquisition was built during the rule of Henry IV of Castile (1425 – 1474), making it the youngest of Alcázar’s three remaining towers. It also was the archives for the Spanish Inquisition which lasted from 1478 until 1834. This dark side of Spanish history was launched by the Catholic Monarchs to purify their kingdom. They required all Jews and Muslims to either convert to Catholicism or be exiled, punished or executed. Over 150,000 people were found guilty of crimes and 2,000 were brutally killed. Many of the tortures and punishments were conducted within the Alcázar, the headquarters for the Tribunal of the Holy Office. The Inquisition Tower now contains Roman mosaics.
