Grand Inquisitor (, literally ''Inquisitor General'' or ''General Inquisitor'') was the highest-ranked official of the Inquisition. The title usually refers to the inquisitor of the

Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition () was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and lasted until 1834. It began toward the end of ...

, in charge of appeals and cases of aristocratic importance, even after the reunification of the inquisitions. Secretaries-general of the Roman Inquisition were often styled as ''Grand Inquisitor'' but the role and functions were different. The Portuguese Inquisition was headed by a Grand Inquisitor, or General Inquisitor, named by the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

but selected by the king, always from within the royal family. The most famous Inquisitor General was the Spanish Dominican Tomás de Torquemada, who spearheaded the Spanish Inquisition.

List of Spanish Grand Inquisitors

Separation of Inquisitions of Castile and Aragon

Castile

Aragon

Reunification of the Inquisitions

List of inquisitors-general of Portugal

* D. Diogo da Silva (1536–1539), Archbishop of Braga. * Cardinal Dom Henrique (1539–1579), Archbishop of Braga, became King of Portugal. * D. Manuel de Meneses (1578–1578), Bishop of Lamego and Bishop of Coimbra, killed at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. * D. Jorge de Almeida (1580–1585),

Archbishop of Lisbon The Metropolitan Patriarchate of Lisbon () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or patriarchate, patriarchal archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Its episcopal see, archiepiscopal see is the Lisbon Cathedra ...

. * Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (1586–1593), Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo, Viceroy of Portugal. * D. António de Matos de Noronha (1596–1602), Bishop of Elvas. * D. Jorge de Ataíde (1602), Bishop of Viseu, refused the position. * D. Alexandre de Bragança, (1602–1604), Archbishop of Evora. * D. Pedro de Castilho (1605–1615), Grand Chaplain of King Philip II of Portugal. * D. Fernando Martins Mascarenhas (1615–1628), Bishop of Algarve and Bishop of Faro. * D. Francisco de Castro, (1630–1653), Bishop of Guarda. * D. Sebastião César de Meneses (1663–1668). Appointed by King Afonso VI of Portugal, but not confirmed by Pope Alexander VII due to the lack of recognition of the new Portuguese State by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. * D. Pedro de Lencastre (1671–1673), Archbishop of Braga and Duke of Aveiro. * D. Veríssimo de Lencastre (1676–1692), Archbishop of Braga. * D. Frei José de Lencastre (1693–1705), Bishop of Bragança-Miranda and Bishop of Leiria. * D. Nuno da Cunha e Ataíde (1707–1750), Grand Chaplain of King

Pedro II of Portugal ''Dom (title), Dom'' Pedro II (Peter II; 26 April 1648 – 9 December 1706), nicknamed the Pacific (''Português:'' O Pacífico) was King of Portugal from 1683 until his death, previously serving as regent for his brother Afonso VI of Portugal, ...

and John V of Portugal. * D. José de Bragança (1758–1760), bastard son of John V of Portugal. * D. João Cosme da Cunha (1770–1783), Archbishop of Evora and minister of Justice. * Frei Inácio de São Caetano (1787–1788), confessor of Queen Maria I of Portugal. * D. José Maria de Melo (1790–1818), Bishop of Algarve, Bishop of Faro and confessor of Queen Maria I of Portugal. * D. José Joaquim da Cunha Azeredo Coutinho (1818–1821), Bishop of Elvas.Inquisidores gerais de Portugal
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External links

References

{{Authority control Spanish Inquisition Portuguese Inquisition Grand