Auto of faith
Francisco Rizi. Auto de Fe in the Plaza Mayor of Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado
Ethnologic Museum
Auto de faith from the 17th century
On June 30, 1680, the most important Auto de Fe of the 17th century took place in the Plaza Mayor of Madrid. A magnificent Baroque ritual in which thousands of people participated, during which public sentences issued by the different territorial courts of the Holy Office were read and enforced.
It was presided over by Charles II, “The Bewitched,” with his family and dwarfs. The Inquisitor General at that time was the Vigo-born Diego Sarmiento de Valladares. In the middle of the enormous spectacle set up around them, the Inquisition’s banner with the cross, olive branch, and sword appeared, which was also seen on the coats of arms of family members, commissioners, and inquisitors.
