Times of the Inquisition
The modern Inquisition thus clashes with more than five centuries of peaceful medieval coexistence between Galicians of different ethnicities and religions. When it tries to impose itself in the 16th century, the first inquisitors encounter diffuse popular resistance and multiple jurisdictional conflicts with the local councils, the Church, and royal officials.
Ethnologic Museum
The Beginning of the Inquisitorial Persecution in Galicia
Until 1574, the Tribunal of Santiago would not really begin to operate, a hundred years later than in Castile and three centuries after Aragón. Even so, the Jewish converts of Galicia would not be troubled until the early 17th century.
The turning point in the inquisitorial offensive against the clandestine Jews in Galicia was the Ribadavia trial between 1606 and 1610. For the first time, the Tribunal of Santiago showed a positive economic balance. The majority group among those prosecuted by the Inquisition throughout Galicia consisted of Jewish converts, most of them merchants, and therefore prime targets for the confiscation of property that the Inquisition used to fund its operations.
