Grand Inquisitor


Grand Inquisitor was the lead official of the Inquisition. The title usually refers to the chief inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, 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 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

FromToGrand InquisitorOther positions held
14831498Tomás de TorquemadaPrior of the Dominican Convent of Santa Cruz, Segovia, 1477 - 1498
14991506Diego de Deza TaveraArchbishop of Seville
15061507Diego Ramírez de GuzmánBishop of Catania, Bishop of Lugo

Separation of Inquisitions of Castile and Aragon

Castile

FromToGrand InquisitorOther positions held
15071517Francisco Jiménez de CisnerosCardinal, Archbishop of Toledo

Aragon

FromToGrand InquisitorOther positions held
15071513Juan EngueraBishop of Vich, Bishop of Lleida, Bishop of Tortosa
15131516Luis Mercader EscolanoBishop of Tortosa
15161517Adrian of UtrechtCardinal priest of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo, Bishop of Tortosa

Reunification of the Inquisitions

FromToGrand InquisitorOther positions held
15181522Adrian of UtrechtCardinal priest of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo, Bishop of Tortosa
15231538Alonso Manrique de LaraBishop of Badajoz, Archbishop of Seville, Cardinal
15391545Juan Pardo de TaveraArchbishop of Toledo
15461546García de LoaysaArchbishop of Seville
15471566Fernando de Valdés y SalasArchbishop of Seville
15661572Diego de EspinosaBishop of Sigüenza, Bishop of Cuenca
15721572Pedro Ponce de LeónBishop of Ciudad Rodrigo, Bishop of Plasencia
15731594Gaspar de Quiroga y VelaArchbishop of Toledo
15951595Jerónimo Manrique de LaraBishop of Cartagena, Bishop of Ávila
15961599Pedro de PortocarreroBishop of Calahorra, Bishop of Cuenca
15991602Fernando Niño de GuevaraArchbishop of Seville
16021602Juan de Zúñiga FloresBishop of Cartagena
16031608Juan Bautista de AcevedoBishop of Valladolid, Patriarch of the Indias
16081618Bernardo de Sandoval y RojasArchbishop of Toledo
16191621Luis de Aliaga Martínez
16221626Andrés PachecoBishop of Cuenca, Patriarch of the Indias
16271632Antonio de Zapata CisnerosArchbishop of Burgos
16321643Antonio de SotomayorPrior of Santo Domingo
16431665Diego de Arce y ReinosoBishop of Tuy, Bishop of Avila, Bishop of Palencia
16651665Pascual de AragónArchbishop of Toledo
16661669Juan Everardo Nithard
16691695Diego Sarmiento de ValladaresBishop of Oviedo, Bishop of Plasencia
16951699Juan Tomás de RocabertiPrior of Santo Domingo, Archbishop of Valencia
16991699Alonso Fernández de Córdoba y AguilarAppointed Grand Inquisitor, but died before he could assume this office.
16991705Baltasar de Mendoza y SandovalBishop of Segovia
17051709Vidal Marín del CampoArchbishop of Burgos
17091710Antonio Ibáñez de Riva HerreraArchbishop of Zaragoza, Archbishop of Toledo
17111716Francesco del GiudiceArchbishop of Monreale
17151715Felipe Antonio Gil de TaboadaCommissioned as Grand Inquisitor but did not serve.
17171717José de MolinesProclaimed in Rome, but detained by Austrians and died without serving.
17181718Felipe de ArcemendiDied without serving.
17201720Diego de Astorga y CéspedesArchbishop of Toledo
17201733Juan de Camargo y AnguloBishop of Pamplona
17331740Andrés de Orbe y LarreateguiArchbishop of Valencia
17421746Manuel Isidro Orozco Manrique de LaraArchbishop of Santiago
17461755Francisco Pérez de PradoBishop of Teruel
17551774Manuel Quintano BonifazTitular Archbishop of Farsala
17751783Felipe Beltrán SerranoBishop of Salamanca
17841793Agustín Rubin de CeballosBishop of Jaén
17931794Manuel Abad y LasierraTitular Archbishop of Selymbria
17941797Francisco Antonio Lorenzana y ButrónArchbishop of Toledo
17971808Ramón José de Arce y RebollarArchbishop of Burgos
18081814Abolition of the Inquisition
18141818Francisco Javier Mier CampilloBishop of Almería
18181818Cristóbal Bencomo y RodríguezTitular Archbishop of Heraclea
18181820Gerónimo Castillón y SalasBishop of Tarazona

List of inquisitors-general of Portugal