EuropeEvent

Initiation of the Spanish Inquisition

When: 1478
Where: Spain
Episodes: 1

Pope Sixtus IV authorized the Tribunal of the Holy Office in 1478. In 1480, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile appointed the first inquisitors, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martín.

Episodes

1478 · SpainPapal Authorization
Pope Sixtus IV authorized the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in 1478, providing the legal basis for its creation.

Background and detail

Background. Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, known as the Catholic Monarchs, ruled a dynastically unified Spain. Isabella was convinced of the existence of Crypto-Judaism among Andalusian conversos during her stay in Seville between 1477 and 1478.

Establishment. The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was authorized by Pope Sixtus IV in 1478. In 1480, the future Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, appointed the first inquisitors, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martín.

People involved

Ferdinand II of Aragon · King of Aragon and co-ruler
Isabella I of Castile · Queen of Castile and co-ruler
Pope Sixtus IV · Papal authority authorizing the Inquisition

Sources

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.