Tribunal de la Inquisición de Sevilla
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 Seville
Title (official language of the state)
Tribunal de la Inquisición de Sevilla
Language of title
spa
Creator / accumulator
Tribunal de la Inquisición de Sevilla
Date(s)
1480/1834
Language(s)
spa
Extent
33 boxes
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This fonds comprises documentation produced by the Inquisition of Seville. This Inquisition court's targets reflect Seville's dynamics as a port city with numerous foreign communities and a solid Muslim tradition, given the late incorporation of this territory into the Spanish kingdom. In the first decades of this court's activity, the persecution of Jewish descendants amounted to less than 20%. However, in the first decades of the 18th century, conversos made up most of the defendants sentenced by the Inquisition of Seville.
PARES, the system of the Spanish Archives, provides researchers with extensive documentation that 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.
PARES, the system of the Spanish Archives, provides researchers with extensive documentation that 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 was completed by incorporating other inquisitorial documents stored in the Biblioteca Nacional de España (National Library of Spain) in 1914.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Inquisition reached Seville after the papal bull of January 31, 1481, when Pope Sixtus IV confirmed the appointment of the Dominican friars Miguel Morillo and Juan de San Martín to the positions of inquisitors in Seville.
The territorial extension of this rising court varied, especially in the first decades, when the limits of the jurisdictions of the different inquisitorial courts were still poorly defined. In 1491, a new tribunal was created for the bishopric of Cadix and the city of Jérez de la Frontera. At this time, two Inquisitorial courts existed in both cities until they were unified in 1507. Eventually, the area of the Tribunal of Seville was formed by the area of the archbishopric with the same name, Cadix and its bishopric, and the city of Jérez.
This Inquisitorial court had some specificities. It was one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula, and the resistance of the local population against implementing this new authority was weaker compared to other territories. It was also one of the largest in the area of jurisdiction, with over 29,203 Km2.
In terms of persecution, at the end of the 15th century, anti-Jewish repression was rather violent, primarily affecting urban communities. From the mid-16th century to the end of the 17th century, the persecuted population reflected the heterogeneous nature of the Sevillian social fabric as a place of passage for different groups. Twenty per cent of cases were against northern European people, 7% Portuguese, 16% Moriscos and Barbarians, and 16% descendants of Jews.
In the 18th century, Jewish conversos made up the bulk of the defendants sentenced by the Inquisition of Seville, alongside a few Old Christians persecuted for minor offences.
The territorial extension of this rising court varied, especially in the first decades, when the limits of the jurisdictions of the different inquisitorial courts were still poorly defined. In 1491, a new tribunal was created for the bishopric of Cadix and the city of Jérez de la Frontera. At this time, two Inquisitorial courts existed in both cities until they were unified in 1507. Eventually, the area of the Tribunal of Seville was formed by the area of the archbishopric with the same name, Cadix and its bishopric, and the city of Jérez.
This Inquisitorial court had some specificities. It was one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula, and the resistance of the local population against implementing this new authority was weaker compared to other territories. It was also one of the largest in the area of jurisdiction, with over 29,203 Km2.
In terms of persecution, at the end of the 15th century, anti-Jewish repression was rather violent, primarily affecting urban communities. From the mid-16th century to the end of the 17th century, the persecuted population reflected the heterogeneous nature of the Sevillian social fabric as a place of passage for different groups. Twenty per cent of cases were against northern European people, 7% Portuguese, 16% Moriscos and Barbarians, and 16% descendants of Jews.
In the 18th century, Jewish conversos made up the bulk of the defendants sentenced by the Inquisition of Seville, alongside a few Old Christians persecuted for minor offences.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
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) |