First Castilian tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition began work in Seville under Isabella’s royal authority.
On 2 January 1480, the first Castilian tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition began operations in Seville under royal authority. This tribunal moved the Inquisition from abstract papal sanction to concrete institutional practice within Isabella’s realm.
The Seville tribunal focused initially on conversos, investigating and prosecuting alleged lapses from Catholic orthodoxy. Its procedures—interrogations, trials, and punishments—soon became a template for other tribunals across Castile. Isabella’s government provided logistical support, legal backing, and protection, embedding the Inquisition within the apparatus of the monarchy.
The establishment of this tribunal was historically significant because it operationalized a system of religious policing that would endure for centuries, influencing cultural life, intellectual freedom, and minority communities throughout the Spanish world.
In the context of women’s history, the Seville tribunal’s opening illustrates how Isabella wielded power over spiritual and social norms, shaping the boundaries of accepted belief and practice. Her central role in instituting such mechanisms reveals both the reach of female sovereignty and the profound human costs of policies enacted under her reign.