Spanish Inquisition Inquisition

pedro berruguete, saint dominic guzmán presiding on auto da fe (c. 1495). many artistic representations depict torture , burning @ stake during auto-da-fé (portuguese act of faith ).

portugal , spain in late middle ages consisted largely of multicultural territories of muslim , jewish influence, reconquered islamic control, , new christian authorities not assume subjects become , remain orthodox roman catholics. inquisition in iberia, in lands of reconquista counties , kingdoms leon, castile , aragon, had special socio-political basis more fundamental religious motives.

in parts of spain towards end of 14th century, there wave of violent anti-judaism, encouraged preaching of ferrand martinez, archdeacon of ecija. in pogroms of june 1391 in seville, hundreds of jews killed, , synagogue destroyed. number of people killed high in other cities, such córdoba, valencia , barcelona.

one of consequences of these pogroms mass conversion of thousands of surviving jews. forced baptism contrary law of catholic church, , theoretically had been forcibly baptized legally return judaism. however, narrowly interpreted. legal definitions of time theoretically acknowledged forced baptism not valid sacrament, confined cases literally administered physical force. person had consented baptism under threat of death or serious injury still regarded voluntary convert, , accordingly forbidden revert judaism. after public violence, many of converted felt safer remain in new religion. thus, after 1391, new social group appeared , referred conversos or new christians.

king ferdinand ii of aragon , queen isabella of castile established spanish inquisition in 1478. in contrast previous inquisitions, operated under royal christian authority, though staffed clergy , orders, , independently of holy see. operated in spain , in spanish colonies , territories, included canary islands, spanish netherlands, kingdom of naples, , spanish possessions in north, central, , south america. targeted forced converts islam (moriscos, conversos , secret moors) , judaism (conversos, crypto-jews , marranos) — both groups still resided in spain after end of islamic control of spain — came under suspicion of either continuing adhere old religion or of having fallen it.

in 1492 jews had not converted expelled spain; converted became subject inquisition. (jews not heretics, catholics practised jewish faith regarded heretics.)