We returned the BoBo Mobile to the airport today in advance of our flight to Prague. It might be slow but 30 litres of fuel for 5 days driving, so that’s good, especially if you are a clown on low wages.

Anyway back to the topic for the day……..

The Venetian Crime and Punishment Exhibition.

When it comes to grizzly forms of punishment these guys had it in spades. Whether it be the Council of Ten, which turns out to actually be sixteen (but that could be down to the decimal system) or the Spanish Inquisition you wouldn’t have wanted to upset these guys. Draw a rude picture of the local priest…. that’s a flogging, cuss him…..that’s you’re head gone, be adulterous…… that’s some other bits gone. You get the general gist of what’s going on right?

The Doge and his henchmen (made up of the rich and powerful) kept a very tight rein on all social and moral activities in Venice and had some really inventive ways of keeping the peasantry and the aristocracy for that matter in line. The Spanish Inquisition…. even cleverer!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so if and only if you are not faint hearted check these instruments of investigation out they are guaranteed to tickle your giblets, bother your toes and generally lead to a full confession….. guilty or not!

ONE LAST CHANCE TO BACK OUT. GO NO FURTHER IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH………..

O.K. THEN, IF YOU’RE REALLY SURE…….

YOU ARE SURE AREN’T YOU?…….

HERE WE GO THEN……

The Rack, with rolling spiky bits.

The put head between blocks and whack with mallet business.

The Select-a-mask game.

The Garrotte, now this is a real pain in the neck.

These and many more timber and metal contrivances were used for hundreds of years to punish, extract information and generally tame the non-compliant populous mostly in the name of God and his representatives.

Probably a page from a contemporary comic book, “The Priest and Doge go to town”.

By the way, these days they just use these guys..