The Spanish Inquisition has become synonymous with being ruthlessly questioned beyond reason.
The Spanish Inquisition lasted just under 400 years, and its impact on society can still be seen today in modern Spain.
Studies have shown that areas most affected by the Inquisition appear to be poorer, more religious, and less educated 200 years after the Inquisition finally ended.
To learn more about this troubling period in Spanish history, join us as we go into more detail about the Spanish Inquisition.
First, it's important to establish that the Spanish Inquisition wasn't entirely unexpected.
Inquisitions became a judicial procedure in 1184, when Pope Lucius III required bishops to investigate claims of heresy with judicial inquiries.
Decree was enforced with varying degrees of vigor, with some dioceses foregoing to introduce the doctrine.
The papacy gradually assumed control over the process while allowing local bishops to lead inquisitions.
Around 1415, the first handbook of inquisitorial practice was written, and common procedures were put in place.
By 1252, these procedures included the torture of ardent heretics, In 1307, the use of torture in religious inquiry was employed when King Philip IV of France accused the Knights Templar of heretical behaviors, including devil worship, spitting on the cross, corruption, financial fraud, and homosexuality.
