Letter of protest to the El Greco Museum in Toledo
24th February 2020
To the ministry of culture of Spain,
To the museum El Greco in Toledo
Subject: protestation concerning El Greco museum.
I had the pleasure to visit the El Greco museum in Toledo in May 2019. My pleasure was disturbed when I saw the shocking commentary of the picture representing an auto-da-fe which is given to the visitors who are interested to understand what an auto-da-fe is.
Here is the English text:
"This painting represents an auto-da-fe, with the transportation of the Inquisition emblem, the cross with the olive branch, and the sword, by the Company of the Soldiers of the Faith. In Castille they were one of the main public ceremonies, and brought together people from different social sectors, civil and religious. They were promoted by the Court of the Holy Office, created by the Catholic monarchs in 1478. They prosecuted possible heresies and witchcraft practices, blasphemy or sexual acts considered immoral."
The visitor is not informed that the persons with peaked hats are coming to be burned alive, that they were mainly Jews that have been converted by force and that were condemned by inquisition as apostates when they continued to practice their religion in secret. This barbaric ceremony is presented as an entertainment given by Enlighted authorities as a cultural activity, for the promotion of brotherhood between different sectors of society. This ignorance of the horrible character of these practices is one of the most shocking forms of negationist opinions.
I hope that this mistake will be corrected soon, for the holy memory of the victims of barbary.
Respectfully yours,
Oury Cherki – Jerusalem – Israel
Copy is sent to Israeli embassy in Madrid