Implementation of the Inquisition in Portugal
- When
- 1536–1541
- Where
- Portugal
- Episodes
- 2
The Portuguese Inquisition was formally established in 1536 following negotiations between King John III and the papacy. Pope Paul III issued the bull Cum ad nihil magis on 23 May 1536, imposing censorship and targeting Conversos. Six courts were organized in Portugal between 1536 and 1541.
Episodes
- Court Organization
Six courts were organized in Portugal between 1536 and 1541, including Évora, Lisbon, Tomar, Coimbra, Lamego, and Porto, to administer the Inquisition.
- Papal Bull Establishment
Pope Paul III issued the bull Cum ad nihil magis on 23 May 1536, formally establishing the Portuguese Inquisition and imposing censorship of printed publications.
Background and detail
Background. The Portuguese Inquisition was one of three manifestations of the wider Christian Inquisition that survived the Medieval period. It was formally established in 1536 at the long-standing request of King John III, following years of negotiations with the popes regarding the institution's conditions and scope.
Operations. The major target of the Portuguese Inquisition was the Conversos, or New Christians, who were suspected of secretly practicing Judaism. In a first phase, six courts were organized in Portugal between 1536 and 1541, located in Évora, Lisbon, Tomar, Coimbra, Lamego, and Porto.
People involved
- King John III · Monarch who requested the Inquisition
- Pope Paul III · Pope who issued the establishing bull
Sources
- Portuguese Inquisition Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-18
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.