The Maya and the Inquisition

**This episode includes graphic descriptions of torture**

When Franciscan friar Diego de Landa arrived in Yucatán (now in Mexico), his fascination with Maya culture soon twisted into fanaticism. Accusing the Maya of idolatry, Landa unleashed a brutal inquisition, burning thousands of sacred texts and artifacts, erasing centuries of knowledge in a single day. Yet, in a twist of fate, his own writings would later become the key to understanding the very civilization he tried to erase.

In the last episode in our mini-series debunking the myths about the Conquest of the Americas, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Amy Fuller to explores one of history’s most chilling acts of cultural destruction: the 1562 auto de fé at Maní.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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