Spanish Inquisition

Timeline

1. 1478–1500Castile · CastileFerdinand and Isabella obtained papal authorization to establish the Spanish Inquisition, led by figures such as Tomás de Torquemada, conducting faith inspections of converted Jews and Muslims, establishing a dual system of royal leadership with papal authorization.
2. c. 1550–1610The Iberian Peninsula and Spanish America · Spanish AmericaThe Inquisition established local tribunals in Seville, Mexico City, Lima, and elsewhere, expanding book censorship, denunciation mechanisms, and property-confiscation procedures, becoming an important state institution for maintaining imperial Catholic orthodoxy.
3. 1611–1620Madrid and major local tribunals · SpainUnder Philip III, the Inquisition continued to examine suspected heresy, banned books, and the infiltration of Protestant literature, reinforcing social deterrence through public ceremonies; though in a relatively moderate period, the institutional framework and denunciation network still functioned effectively.
4. c. 1700–1834Spain · SpainAfter the 18th century the Inquisition's power gradually contracted, with censorship focus shifting to books and Enlightenment ideas; in 1834 a liberal government formally abolished it, ending the Spanish Inquisition as a state heresy-trial system.