Autodafé

An auto-da-fé ( AW-toh-də-FAY, OW-; from Portuguese auto da fé or Spanish auto de fe [ˈawto ðe ˈfe], meaning 'act of faith') was a ritualized or public penance carried out between the 15th and 19th centuries in condemnation of heretics, apostates, and minorities such as Jews and Muslims. It was imposed by the Spanish, Portuguese, or Mexican Inquisition as punishment and enforced by civil authorities. Its most extreme form was death by burning.