sites of public execution
In 17th century Paris, prisoners were brought to this quiet little square to be executed in a brutal medieval fashion. The site was probably chosen because of the architecture. The tall buildings surrounding the square, as well as a wooden tower, were used to tie ropes and pulleys used in the executions. Torture consisted of attaching the arms of the victim to cords, and hoisting them up to the top of a post or ceiling with a pulley. The unfortunate victim, sometimes with weights suspended from the feet, would then be dropped and dangled by the cord, until death.