Instruments of Torture

Ever wanted to see some of those crazy and scary torture devices you see in Medieval movies? Come out to the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami from Friday, April 2 through Sunday, August 29, 2010 and check out the Instruments of Torture Exhibit - a showcase of real torture devices from the past.  This will be the exhibits first East Coast premiere and only the second showing in the U.S.

On loan from the Museo Medieval in Italy, these instruments of torture have been gathered from all over Europe and have been traveling throughout the world -- some of them dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.  First opened to the public in Florence, in 1983, this  exhibition, internationally famous almost overnight, continues in Miami in 2010 after being shown in many cities of Spain, Portugal, Mexico, USA and Japan.

The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Friday from 12pm until 5pm and weekends from 11am until 6pm.  Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for seniors and $7 for MDC students/faculty/staff and children under the age 12.

About eighty-five instruments will be shown at the Freedom Tower in Miami this year.  Most of the collection consists of original pieces acquired from antiques shops throughout Europe, some dating to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They include The Pendulum, The Garrotte, The Iron Maiden, Spiked Collar, The Guillotine, and Interrogation Chairs, among other items.