María Soliño (1551- d. ''after'' 1617) was a Galician fisherwife and landowner. She is a famous victim 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 ...

. She was born in

Cangas, Pontevedra Cangas, also known as Cangas do Morrazo, is a seaside resort in southwestern Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. It is both a town and municipality in the province of Pontevedra (province), Pontevedra. Its area is about 38,1 km2 and has a popula ...

in 1551. She married the fisherman Pedro Barba and had children. She also inherited several farms. The family became wealthy farmers and fishermen, which was considered provocative because of their social status. In 1617, the city was pillaged by

Ottoman pirates Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire 1299–1922 ** Ottoman dynasty, ruling family of the Ottoman Em ...

, and her husband was killed, which caused her to become confused because of her sorrow. The pillage devastated the city and resulted in a witch trial. A wealthy widow, she was accused of and confessed to practising witchcraft. It is believed that the actual reason was her wealth and the wish of the authorities to confiscate her property. She was tortured and imprisoned. She confessed guilty and sentenced to confiscation of her property as well as imprisonment and a physical punishment. She was described as old, weak and confused. It is not known when she died, but she may have died around the time of her sentencing, because it is not noted anywhere that she was actually subjected to her punishment. She has since become a symbol of the local people. Her life has been portrayed in the 2020 film by .

References

1551 births People convicted of witchcraft People from Cangas, Pontevedra 16th-century Spanish women Witch trials in Spain Victims of the Inquisition {{Galicia-bio-stub