In september of 1610 the Inquisition was established in Cartagena de Indias. Its jurisdiction included the New Kingdom of Granada and Venezuela to Nicaragua, Panama, Santo Domingo and the Windward Islands. The Court of Penalties of the Holy Office had its headquarters here. This building is considered one of the typical houses of the civil architecture of Cartagena de Indias from the 18th century. Inside what were once jails and torture chambers are distributed inside. The Inquisition aimed to judge crimes against the Christian faith, and never acknowledged innocents. The Holy Office remained in Cartagena de Indias until 1811 when the independence movement broke out and the inquisitors were expelled. Then they would return in 1815 with El Pacificador Pablo Morillo, until 1821, year in which they were definitively eradicated. The façade of the Palace of the Inquisition, with bars on the lower part and balconies on the upper floor are the characteristics of the colonial houses of the city. The main entrance is Baroque style with mixtilinear moldings.