Simple History of the Spanish Inquisition? 350 Years of Persecution and Intolerance

The Spanish Inquisition, a period of religious persecution and social control that lasted for over three centuries, stands as one of the most controversial institutions in European history. Established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, the Inquisition aimed to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their realms and consolidate their power. This article explores the origins, methods and impact of this infamous institution on Spanish society and beyond.

Origins of the Spanish Inquisition

While the term “Inquisition” is often associated with Spain, it’s important to note that the first papal bull founding an inquisition was issued at the end of the 12th century in southern France. Several inquisitions existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, including in the Kingdom of Aragón, before the Spanish Inquisition was established.

The Spanish Inquisition was unique in its scope and longevity. Unlike earlier medieval inquisitions, which were under papal control, the Spanish Inquisition was firmly under the authority of the Spanish monarchy. Pope Sixtus IV’s papal bull of 1478 gave Ferdinand and Isabella the right to appoint inquisitors in their kingdoms.

The Spanish Inquisition Tribunal - "Auto de fe de la Inquisición" - by Francisco Goya
The Inquisition Tribunal – “Auto de fe de la Inquisición” – by Francisco Goya

The path to the Inquisition’s establishment was complex. In the early days after the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, there was a relatively peaceful period of coexistence between Christians, Moors and Jews. However, toward the end of the 14th century, anti-Jewish sentiment began to rise, led by figures such as Ferrant Martinez, the Archdeacon of Ecija. This led to violence against Jews in several cities, including Seville, Barcelona, Córdoba and Valencia.

As a result, a new social group emerged: the conversos, Jews who converted to Christianity to escape persecution. Many conversos attained high positions, including Ferdinand’s personal physician. However, suspicions about the sincerity of these conversions persisted.

When Isabella visited Seville in 1477, she was persuaded that many conversos were insincere converts who were disloyal to both the Catholic Church and royal authority. The monarchs’ initial requests to Pope Sixtus IV to reintroduce the Inquisition were refused, as the Roman authorities were concerned about weakening papal authority. However, Ferdinand’s threat to withdraw military support for the Papal conflict with the Turks eventually led to the Pope’s acquiescence.

Structure and Operations

The Inquisition was headed by the Inquisitor General, appointed by the monarch and confirmed by the Pope. Tomás de Torquemada, appointed in 1483, became the most notorious holder of this office. Under the Inquisitor General was the Suprema, or Supreme Council, which oversaw the operations of local tribunals across Spain and its territories.

Initially, the Inquisition was confined to Seville and Córdoba, with the first Auto de Fé held in Seville in 1481, where six people were burned to death. By 1492, there were Inquisitions in eight different Castilian cities.

Inquisitorial procedures were shrouded in secrecy. Accused individuals were often unaware of the charges against them or the identity of their accusers. The use of torture to extract confessions was sanctioned, although it was subject to certain rules and limitations in theory.

Night Scene from the Spanish Inquisition - by Francisco Goya
Night Scene from the Inquisition – by Francisco Goya

Targets of Persecution

While conversos were the initial focus, the Inquisition’s scope expanded over time. Moriscos (converted Muslims) became targets after the fall of Granada in 1492. As the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe, the Inquisition also turned its attention to rooting out Lutheran and other Protestant influences in Spain.

The Inquisition’s reach extended beyond religious heterodoxy. It also prosecuted cases of blasphemy, bigamy, witchcraft and moral offences. Even some prominent Catholic figures, such as Saint Teresa of Ávila and Fray Luis de León, fell under suspicion and investigation.

Methods and Punishments

The Inquisition employed various methods to identify and prosecute suspected heretics. Denunciations from the public were encouraged and periods of grace were announced during which individuals could confess their own or others’ heresies in exchange for leniency.

Punishments varied widely depending on the severity of the offence and the defendant’s willingness to repent. They ranged from public penance and fines to imprisonment, flogging and in the most severe cases, execution. The auto-da-fé, a public spectacle of judgment and punishment, served as both a judicial proceeding and a demonstration of the Inquisition’s power.

These auto-da-fés became great public spectacles, usually held in the largest square of a city on a public holiday and frequently lasting an entire day. A notable depiction of these events can be found in Rizzi’s painting of the Auto de Fé held in Madrid in 1680, which is on display in the Prado Art Gallery.

The Spanish Inquisition: Auto-da-fé by Francisco Rizi
Francisco Rizi painting from 1683 of the Act of Faith (auto-da-fé) held in Plaza Mayor in Madrid in 1680.

The Inquisition and Spanish Society

The impact of the Inquisition on Spanish society was profound and long-lasting. It created an atmosphere of suspicion and fear, where individuals might be denounced by neighbours, friends, or even family members. The concept of ‘limpieza de sangre’ (purity of blood) gained prominence, with Old Christians claiming superior status over those with Jewish or Muslim ancestry.

The Inquisition also had a chilling effect on intellectual and cultural life in Spain. Books were censored and ideas deemed heretical were suppressed. This contributed to Spain’s relative isolation from the scientific and philosophical developments of the Enlightenment in later centuries. Spanish universities, once among the oldest and most prestigious in Europe, became academic backwaters.

The church, with the full cooperation of the royal family, began to enforce rigorous censorship of books and ideas. Evidence of this censorship can still be seen in some historical texts at Salamanca University, where censorship marks and cut-out columns are visible.

The Inquisition in the Spanish Empire

As Spain established its overseas empire, the Inquisition followed. Tribunals were established in major colonial centres such as Mexico City, Lima and Cartagena. In the colonies, the Inquisition focused not only on religious orthodoxy but also on maintaining Spanish control over diverse populations.

The Inquisition in the Americas also targeted indigenous religious practices and worked to suppress African religious traditions brought by enslaved people. However, the vast distances and diverse populations of the Spanish Empire often made the Inquisition’s work more challenging than in the peninsula.

Decline and Abolition of the Spanish Inquisition

The power and influence of the Spanish Inquisition began to wane in the 18th century. The ideas of the Enlightenment, which emphasized reason and religious tolerance, gradually penetrated Spanish intellectual circles. During the reigns of Carlos III and Carlos IV, only four people were condemned and burned.

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain in 1808 led to a brief abolition of the Inquisition, although it was reinstated after Ferdinand VII regained the throne in 1814. The Inquisition was permanently abolished on July 15th 1834 during the reign of Isabella II, as part of the liberal reforms that marked Spain’s transition to a modern constitutional monarchy.

Legacy and Historical Debate

The Spanish Inquisition has left an indelible mark on historical memory, often serving as a byword for religious intolerance and institutional cruelty. However, modern scholarship has sought to provide a more nuanced understanding of the institution and its impact.

Historical revisionists, notably British historian Henry Kamen, have claimed that accounts of the Inquisition’s brutality were greatly exaggerated as part of what has been termed “The Black Legend.” They suggest that the total number of executions triggered by the Inquisition in the 350 years of its existence would not have exceeded 5,000, far fewer than the 12,000 previously claimed.

Nevertheless, the Inquisition’s impact on Spanish society, culture and intellectual life was profound. In the first 50 years alone, an estimated 2,000 executions took place, mostly of Jews. The resultant panic amongst Spanish Jews led to the exodus of upwards of 200,000 people, mainly traders, doctors and academics, leaving a significant void in Spanish society and economy.

The expulsion of Jews and later of Muslims (between 1609 and 1614, more than 250,000 Spanish Muslims were driven out) deprived the country of valuable human capital and much-needed tax revenue. The atmosphere of suspicion and conformity engendered by the Inquisition has been cited as a factor in Spain’s relative decline in the later early modern period.

During the years of the Inquisition, many Spaniards considered it a triumph for Roman Catholicism, but its costs were high. The censorship of books, the prevention of students studying overseas (to stop them from bringing Protestant ideas into the country) and the general atmosphere of fear and mistrust cut Spain off from many of the intellectual developments in Europe.

Understanding the Inquisition in its historical context provides valuable insights into the interplay of religion, politics and society in early modern Europe and the long-lasting consequences of institutionalized intolerance. While its excesses have often been exaggerated in popular culture, its impact on individual lives and on the broader course of Spanish history is undeniable.