Tribunal de la Inquisición de Zaragoza
Item
Country
ES
Name of institution (English)
National Historical Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
spa
Contact information: postal address
Serrano 115, 28006 Madrid
Contact information: phone number
0034 917688500
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
ahn@cultura.gob.es
Reference number
INQUISICIÓN
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Tribunal of the Inquisition of Zaragoza
Title (official language of the state)
Tribunal de la Inquisición de Zaragoza
Language of title
spa
Creator / accumulator
Tribunal de la Inquisición de Zaragoza
Date(s)
1482/1834
Language(s)
spa
Extent
2 boxes and 3 books
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This fonds comprises documentation produced by the Inquisition of Aragon in Zaragoza. It is small, containing only two boxes and three books, which mainly refer to issues related to the economic management of the court.
The territory under the jurisdiction of this court had a robust Jewish past, and persecution against conversos was particularly severe there. Therefore, these remaining Inquisition of Aragon archive items contain relevant information regarding conversos living in this area.
PARES, the system of the Spanish Archives, provides researchers with extensive documentation, which has already been digitised and made available online.
In most cases, consultation of inquisitorial documents should be complemented with research on other district courts and the Consejo de Inquisicion (Inquisition Council) fonds, which contains documentation produced by the Suprema. This institution had jurisdiction over all inquisitorial courts in Spanish territories.
The territory under the jurisdiction of this court had a robust Jewish past, and persecution against conversos was particularly severe there. Therefore, these remaining Inquisition of Aragon archive items contain relevant information regarding conversos living in this area.
PARES, the system of the Spanish Archives, provides researchers with extensive documentation, which has already been digitised and made available online.
In most cases, consultation of inquisitorial documents should be complemented with research on other district courts and the Consejo de Inquisicion (Inquisition Council) fonds, which contains documentation produced by the Suprema. This institution had jurisdiction over all inquisitorial courts in Spanish territories.
Archival history
After the extinction of the Inquisition in Spain, most documents were sent to the Archivo General de Simancas. From 1896, the inquisitorial fonds held in Simancas and Alcalá were sent to the Archivo Historico Nacional, where the Inquisición section was created. This section has been completed by incorporating other series of inquisitorial documents stored in the Biblioteca Nacional de España (National Library of Spain) in 1914.
However, the archive of the Inquisition of Aragon was not entirely transferred to the Archivo Historico Nacional. A part of its records remained in Zaragoza. Those records are currently in the Archivo Historico Provincial de Zaragoza. The other part was incorporated into the National Library of France.
The fonds that remained in Zaragoza was initially bigger. However, in 1853, the Audiencia of Aragon carried out an expurgation that affected 450 Inquisitorial trials, of which only a list of contents was preserved.
However, the archive of the Inquisition of Aragon was not entirely transferred to the Archivo Historico Nacional. A part of its records remained in Zaragoza. Those records are currently in the Archivo Historico Provincial de Zaragoza. The other part was incorporated into the National Library of France.
The fonds that remained in Zaragoza was initially bigger. However, in 1853, the Audiencia of Aragon carried out an expurgation that affected 450 Inquisitorial trials, of which only a list of contents was preserved.
Sources:
Administrative / Biographical history
The Inquisition of Aragon in Zaragoza was established around 1232 by Ramon de Penyafort (1175-1275). It was then entrusted to the Dominican friars and the local bishop. Its original objective was fighting the Catharism.
After the creation of the new Spanish Inquisition by the Catholic Kings, the tribunal in Zaragoza was soon reformed. As in other district courts, the most persecuted targets soon became the Jewish and Muslim converts, as Jewish and Muslim communities were particularly numerous in this area.
In Zaragoza, the (re)establishment of the Inquisitorial authority faced a few challenges. Aragon's juridical culture and laws created particular resistance to any judicial institutions acting with such extensive powers. There were some well-known examples of public forms of resistance, namely when the city of Teruel closed its doors in the face of the new inquisitors. In September 1485, the Court faced new and firm opposition in Zaragoza when a conspiracy was hatched, which led to the murder of the canon and inquisitor in the Zaragoza Cathedral. However, this episode had the opposite effects to what was expected. It caused a popular uprising that threatened the community of conversos, who were blamed as responsible for the plot. The investigation undertaken after the conspiracy led to the punishment of hundreds of people. Moreover, between 1484 and 1515, 614 trials were held against Judaizers.
In the Cortes of Monzón in 1512, an agreement was reached that obliged the Court to renounce more aggressive forms of repression and limited its tasks to the investigation against Judaizers. Other moral and religious crimes, such as bigamy, blasphemy, and prejury, were left to the ordinary ecclesiastical judges. In broader terms, the behaviours persecuted by the Inquisition concerned the fight against heresy. However, in practice, this Court mainly targeted conversos and moriscos, as well as suspected Calvinist immigrants from France.
On December 4, 1808, the Napoleonic regime suppressed the Inquisition of Zaragoza.
After the creation of the new Spanish Inquisition by the Catholic Kings, the tribunal in Zaragoza was soon reformed. As in other district courts, the most persecuted targets soon became the Jewish and Muslim converts, as Jewish and Muslim communities were particularly numerous in this area.
In Zaragoza, the (re)establishment of the Inquisitorial authority faced a few challenges. Aragon's juridical culture and laws created particular resistance to any judicial institutions acting with such extensive powers. There were some well-known examples of public forms of resistance, namely when the city of Teruel closed its doors in the face of the new inquisitors. In September 1485, the Court faced new and firm opposition in Zaragoza when a conspiracy was hatched, which led to the murder of the canon and inquisitor in the Zaragoza Cathedral. However, this episode had the opposite effects to what was expected. It caused a popular uprising that threatened the community of conversos, who were blamed as responsible for the plot. The investigation undertaken after the conspiracy led to the punishment of hundreds of people. Moreover, between 1484 and 1515, 614 trials were held against Judaizers.
In the Cortes of Monzón in 1512, an agreement was reached that obliged the Court to renounce more aggressive forms of repression and limited its tasks to the investigation against Judaizers. Other moral and religious crimes, such as bigamy, blasphemy, and prejury, were left to the ordinary ecclesiastical judges. In broader terms, the behaviours persecuted by the Inquisition concerned the fight against heresy. However, in practice, this Court mainly targeted conversos and moriscos, as well as suspected Calvinist immigrants from France.
On December 4, 1808, the Napoleonic regime suppressed the Inquisition of Zaragoza.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is divided by document type.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2023
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Archivo Historico Nacional (España) | Collections (official language of the state) |