One of the most striking and visceral accounts of human barbarism and intolerance passed down through the centuries has been the Spanish Inquisition. But as we often discover through the patient and prudential analysis of careful revisionist history, what we think we “know” may not always be so. Compare and contrast these two “documentaries” on the Inquisition. The first was produced by the BBC, the second one by The History Channel. Note the difference not only in tone and presentation of visual imagery, but the alleged scholarship behind the narrative. LRC readers interested in delving into the true story of this institution whose very name denotes torture, religious repression, and death may begin to find the answers here.

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