The Spanish Inquisition. Helen Rawlings

Transcription

1 The Spanish Inquisition Helen Rawlings

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3 The Spanish Inquisition

4 Historical Association Studies General Editors: Muriel Chamberlain, H. T. Dickinson and Joe Smith Published Titles China in the Twentieth Century (second edition) Paul J. Bailey Postwar Japan: 1945 to the Present y Paul J. Bailey The British Welfare State y John Brown The Causes of the English Civil War Norah Carlin Decolonization: The Fall of the European Empires (second edition) M. E. Chamberlain From Luddism to the First Reform Bill: Reform in England J. R. Dinwiddy The Reformation in Germany C. Scott Dixon Radicalism in the English Revolution * F. D. Dow British Politics Since 1945 (second edition) y David Dutton The French Revolution y Alan Forrest Britain and European Cooperation since 1945 Sean Greenwood Oliver Cromwell Peter Gaunt Occupied France: Collaboration and Resistance y H. R. Kedward The Vikings in Britain y Henry Loyn The Spanish Inquisition Helen Rawlings Appeasement (second edition) Keith Robbins The Cold War (second edition) Joe Smith Britain in the 1930s y Andrew Thorpe The Normans in Britain* David Walker Bismarck y Bruce Waller The Russian Revolution y Beryl Williams The Making of Modern South Africa (third edition) Nigel Worden Lloyd George y Chris Wrigley Forthcoming Titles The American Revolution Keith Mason The Origins of the Second World War Glyn Stone y Print on demand * Out of print The Historical Association, founded in 1906, brings together people who share an interest in, and love for, the past. It aims to further the study and teaching of history at all levels: teacher and student, amateur and professional. This is one of over 100 publications available at preferential rates to members. Membership also includes journals at generous discounts and gives access to courses, conferences, tours and regional and local activities. Full details are available from The Secretary, The Historical Association, 59a Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4JH, telephone:

5 The Spanish Inquisition Helen Rawlings

6 ß 2006 by Helen Rawlings BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA , USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Helen Rawlings to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2006 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rawlings, Helen The Spanish Inquisition / Helen Rawlings. p. cm. (Historical Association studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Inquisition Spain. 2. Spain Church history. I. Title. II. Series. BX1735.R dc ISBN-13: (hardback); ISBN-13: A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 10.5/12.5 Times by Kolam Information Services Pvt. Ltd, Pondicherry, India. Printed and bound in India by Replika Press, Pvt Ltd, Kundli. The publisher s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website:

7 For John Lynch

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9 Contents List of Maps and Plates Acknowledgements Chronology x xi xii 1 The Historiography of the Inquisition 1 Introduction 1 Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-century Literature 3 The Black Legend 4 Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century Literature 5 Twentieth-century Scholarship 8 The Inquisitorial Data-bank 12 The Four Seasons of the Inquisition 14 Conclusion 20 2 The Inquisition as an Institution 21 The Office of Inquisitor General 21 The Council of Inquisition 24 The Inquisition in the Provinces 26 The Procedures of the Inquisition 30 The Auto de Fe 37 The Finances of the Inquisition 42 Inquisitors General of Castile and Aragón, (Appendix) 44

10 viii Contents 3 The Inquisition and the Converso 47 Anti-semitic Tensions in Spanish Society 47 The Statutes of Limpieza de Sangre 50 The Beginnings of the Spanish Inquisition 56 The Expulsion of the Jews 62 The Portuguese New Christians 66 4 The Inquisition and the Morisco : Co-existence and Conversion : Respite : Coercion and Revolt in Granada : The End of Tolerance in Aragón : The Route to Expulsion : The Aftermath 85 5 The Inquisition and Protestantism 90 Illuminism and Humanism under Attack 91 Innovation in Religious Life Condemned 96 The Protestant Challenge, Inquisitorial Censorship and the 1559 Index 108 Biblical Scholarship under Scrutiny The Inquisition and Minor Heresy 114 Religious Instruction 115 Religious Deviance: 117 (a) Blasphemy 117 (b) Bigamy and sexual promiscuity 121 (c) Solicitation 125 (d) Superstition and witchcraft The Decline and Abolition of the Inquisition 135 The Inquisition under the Bourbons 135 The Cortes of Cádiz, Restoration and Abolition, Goya s Inquisition 144 The Balance of History 151

11 Contents ix Glossary 157 Bibliography and References 160 Index 169

12 Maps and Plates Map Map 1 Map of Inquisitorial Districts 60 Plates 7.1 Francisco de Goya, Por haber nacido en otra parte (For being born somewhere else), Francisco de Goya, Por traer cañutos de Diablos de Bayona (For bringing diabolical tracts from Bayonne), Francisco de Goya, Porque sabía hacer Ratones (Because she knew how to make mice), Francisco de Goya, Por linaje de hebreos (For being of Jewish ancestry), Francisco de Goya, Por mober la lengua de otro modo (For wagging his tongue in a different way), Francisco de Goya, Por querer a una burra (For loving a she-ass),

13 Acknowledgements The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce the copyright material in this book: Material from chapters 1 and 2 of my Church, Religion and Society in Early Modern Spain (Palgrave, 2002) has been reproduced with kind permission of Palgrave Macmillan. Drawings by Francisco de Goya have been reproduced with kind permission of the Museo del Prado, Madrid (Plates 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.5 and 7.6) and the British Museum, London (Plate 7.4). Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions in the above list and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

14 Chronology 1391 Anti-semitic riots in major Castilian and Aragonese towns. Large number of Jews convert to Christianity and become known as conversos Conversos banned from holding public office in Toledo via Sentencia Estatuto Massacres of conversos in Andalusian towns Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella begins Bull of Pope Sixtus IV establishes the Spanish Inquisition in Castile Inquisition begins its operations in Castile First auto de fe in Seville First tribunals established in Seville, Córdoba, Zaragoza and Valencia Tomás de Torquemada named first Inquisitor General of Castile and Aragón. Council of the Inquisition established First Instructions on the activity of the Inquisition issued by Torquemada. Assassination of Inquisitor Pedro Arubés in Zaragoza cathedral Capitulaciones of Granada guarantee religious freedom to Moors. Condemnation of those Jews and conversos guilty of murder of El Niño de La Guardia.

15 Chronology xiii 1492 Christian capture of Granada marks end of Reconquest of Spain from Muslim rule. Columbus departs on voyage of discovery to the Americas. Expulsion of Jews from Castile who refused Christian baptism First revolt of Granadine Moors in the Alpujarras mountains begins Expulsion of Moors from Castile who refused Christian baptism Archbishop of Granada, Hernando de Talavera, accused of being a Judaizer Inquisitor Diego Rodríguez Lucero of Córdoba dismissed for excessive abuses of his powers Reign of Charles I of Spain begins ( ). Also held title of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor ( ) Martin Luther s 95 Theses Publication of Polyglot Bible at University of Alcalá Publication of Edict against Alumbrados Submission of Moors in Aragón and Valencia to Christian baptism. Arrest of Ignatius Loyola on suspicion of Illuminist leanings. Publication of Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani in Castilian Valladolid debate on Erasmus Arrest of Juan de Ávila on suspicion of Illuminist leanings Arrest of Juan de Vergara on charge of triple heresy Opening of first session of Council of Trent Purity of Blood statute introduced into Toledo cathedral. Establishment of Portuguese Inquisition Reign of Philip II begins Discovery of Protestant cells in Valladolid and Seville Arrest of Archbishop Carranza of Toledo on charge of heresy. Publication of Index of prohibited books by Inquisitor General Valdés.

16 xiv Chronology Autos de fe of Protestant sympathizers in Valladolid and Seville Publication of Valdés New Instructions to Inquisitors Ending of Council of Trent and beginning of Christianization programme by Inquisition Pragmática published, prohibiting practice of Moorish customs in Granada. Publication of Sanctae Inquisitionis Hispanicae Artes by Reginaldus Gonsalvius Montanus Second revolt of Granadine Moors in Alpujarras mountains First tribunal of Inquisition established in New World in Lima Second tribunal of Inquisition established in New World in Mexico. Dispersal of Granadine Moors throughout Castile Fray Luis de León arrested for harbouring Jewish sympathies Teresa de Ávila denounced to Inquisition for suspicious spiritual methods Release in April and death in May of Archbishop Carranza. Release of Fray Luis de León from imprisonment Publication of Index of prohibited works by Inquisitor General Quiroga Publication of Index of expurgated works by Inquisitor General Quiroga Reign of Philip III begins Fray Agustín de Salucio publishes an attack on Purity of Blood statutes Portuguese conversos issued with pardon Expulsion of the moriscos from Spain. Beginning of Zugarramurdi witch-hunt in Basque Lands Suprema issues new guidelines on trials for witchcraft Martín González de Cellorigo writes a Plea for Justice in Favour of Portuguese New Christians Reign of Philip IV begins.

17 Chronology xv 1640 Tribunal of Inquisition established in Madrid to deal with Portuguese crypto-jews Reign of Charles II begins Auto de fe in Madrid against Portuguese crypto-jews Reign of Philip V begins. 1720s Renewal of trials of Judaizers in Castile Reign of Ferdinand VI begins Reign of Charles III begins Proposals announced to reduce authority of Inquisition. Expulsion of Jesuits from Spain Pablo de Olavide, enlightened minister of Charles III, charged with heresy Reign of Charles IV begins French Revolution breaks out Goya s Caprichos Gaspar de Jovellanos attacks Inquisition in paper addressed to king War of Independence/Peninsular War begins. Charles IV deposed. Joseph Bonaparte announces suppression of Inquisition Cortes of Cádiz votes to abolish the Inquisition War of Independence ends. Restoration of Inquisition by Ferdinand VII. c.1816 Goya s Tribunal of the Inquisition Publication of Llorente s Historia crítica de la Inquisición española Ferdinand VII, under liberal pressure, suppresses Inquisition Permanent abolition of the Inquisition by Isabella II Abolition of Statutes of Purity of Blood.

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19 1 The Historiography of the Inquisition Introduction The Inquisition was one of the most powerful and polemical institutions used by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate heresy and protect the unity of Christendom. Although tribunals were operative in Bohemia, France and Italy in medieval times, it is the Spanish Inquisition first established in the kingdom of Castile in 1478 under Queen Isabella I and suppressed 356 years later in 1834 under Queen Isabella II which has left its mark on the whole history of western civilization. While sharing many features of the Aragonese tribunal set up to deal with the threat of Catharism emanating from French territories in the thirteenth century, the Spanish Inquisition was different in one fundamental respect: it was responsible to the Crown rather than the Pope and was used to consolidate state interest. It soon acquired a reputation for being a barbarous, repressive instrument of racial and religious intolerance that regularly employed torture as well as the death penalty as punishments and severely restricted Spain s intellectual development for generations. The rigours of the Inquisition gave rise to the so-called Black Legend an image of Spain as a nation of fanatical bigots, that was popularized by her foreign (mainly Protestant) enemies in the mid-sixteenth century, and which survived long after the tribunal s final extinction. Given the controversy surrounding its existence and reputation, the Spanish Inquisition has generated an enormous volume

20 2 The Historiography of the Inquisition of historical literature. This has been shaped over the centuries by a number of factors. These include the political, social and ideological viewpoints of scholars, their access to and interpretation of relevant sources and the climate of the age in which they were written. Beyond being simply a historical phenomenon, the Inquisition has become a historiographical phenomenon, forging a number of schools and generations. Historians have traditionally looked at the institution from a variety of perspectives. Those approaches that predominate are: its persecution of minority faiths in the name of orthodoxy; its political role as a tool of the authoritarian state; the amount of corruption, torture and prejudice that underpinned its activities; the support and opposition it generated in society; and the extent to which it contributed to Spain s political, cultural and economic decline. In terms of its overall reputation, observers have tended to divide sharply in their judgements. For some liberal writers it was an expression of all that was bad about the autocratic regime that ruled Spain for generations, while for others of more conservative persuasion it represented all that was good. Since the mid-1970s, a new school of historians have examined the institution afresh from more objective multi-disciplinary standpoints that have challenged the findings of traditional scholarship. For example, it is now acknowledged that the Spanish Inquisition was a far less repressive instrument of ideological control than had hitherto been thought, and that torture and the death penalty were only rarely applied almost exclusively during the first two decades of its existence. By comparison, other European countries, including England, France and Germany, continued to burn heretics until well into the seventeenth century. Furthermore, the Spanish Inquisition was not solely concerned with the pursuit of religious minorities: a significant part of its work involved interacting with ordinary Spaniards in the local context, correcting aspects of their behaviour and belief. Nor was the Holy Office as powerful an institution as previously envisaged. In practice it had to accommodate itself to the jurisdiction of other organs of government, as well as to that of the Church and the Crown. It frequently wrestled with conflicts of authority within its own ranks. This chapter will look at the changing trends in our perception of the Spanish Inquisition over five hundred years of history.