1478 · Seville, Spain

Spanish Inquisition Established

Ferdinand and Isabella obtained papal permission to set up an inquisition in Spain, launching an institution that would become synonymous with religious persecution for the next three centuries.

In 1478, Pope Sixtus IV issued the bull Exigit Sincerae Devotionis authorizing the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to appoint inquisitors in their kingdoms. The immediate target was conversos, Jews who had converted to Christianity, often under pressure, and were suspected of secretly practicing Judaism. What followed was one of the most notorious institutions in Western history. Unlike the earlier medieval inquisition, which reported to the pope, the Spanish Inquisition was controlled by the crown. The first Grand Inquisitor, Tomas de Torquemada, became a byword for cruelty. The Inquisition used torture during interrogations, held secret trials, and burned unrepentant heretics at public ceremonies called autos-da-fe. Its targets expanded over time to include Protestants, blasphemers, bigamists, and others. Modern historians have revised some of the wildest estimates of its death toll downward, but the numbers are still grim: roughly 3,000 to 5,000 people were executed over its 356-year history. Many more were imprisoned, fined, or had their reputations destroyed. The Inquisition was not finally abolished until 1834. The Church has acknowledged its wrongs. In 2000, John Paul II issued a broad apology for sins committed by Catholics in service of the faith, and the Inquisition was clearly in view.

Why it matters

Created an institution that used Church authority to persecute suspected heretics and crypto-Jews for over three centuries, becoming one of the darkest chapters in Catholic history.