Venetian Finger Screws

Venetian finger screws originated in the Venetian Republic, an Italian state that existed from the late 700s through 1797. Venetian control sprouted in the city which is now Venice, Italy, eventually spreading through northeastern Italy and along the west coast of the Adriatic Sea. The Middle Ages was a dark era, notorious for its religious wars and cruel methods of torture, and the Venetian Republic found itself right in the midst of it.

Finger screws were a simple contraption very similar to a vise. However, instead of a flat surface, it had two circular openings intended for the insertion of a finger. Once the victim's fingers were in place, the screw would be tightened until intense pressure was applied to each fastened finger. Typically used to get people to tell the truth, the overseer of the torture would continue to constrict the device until the pain was so great that it forced a confession out of them. Unfortunately, some people were stubborn and resisted to the point that the bones were pulverized, often rendering the injured fingers useless.

Depending on the stakes at hand, once the victim was released from the finger screws, they would sometimes be subjected to even more horrifying torture techniques.

Despite the fact that Venetian finger screws were the product of a sick and twisted mind, metal forgers who fabricated them would usually add their own artistic imprint. In an attempt to incorporate a bit of elegance into such a sadistic apparatus, pressure plates may have included decorative scrolled edges, or an ornamental cast iron wing nut could have been paired with the screw.

Purchase Museum Tickets
Family Page
Make a Difference
Become an Investigator
Visit our Crime Library
Join our Blog