16th century

The 16th century is a one-hundred-year period of time, which began in 1501 and ended in 1600. In the horror genre, the 16th century, or 1500s, is important because of the presence of the Spanish Inquisition. The Holy Office of the Inquisition was a tribunal established in 1478 to maintain Catholic orthodoxy, and to replace the Medieval Inquisition which was once under Papal control. The Inquisition has played a prominent role in several horror-related venues, but is most popularly featured in the 1961 Roger Corman film The Pit and the Pendulum. The Inquisition are also featured in the World of Darkness roleplaying game setting published by White Wolf Publishing, in which players have the ability to create characters from the modern-day version of the Inquisition. In the World of Darkness mythos, the Spanish Inquisition were responsible for executing hundreds of vampires during the 1500s.