The Spanish Inquisition's Secret Prisoners: Conversos and Crypto-Jews

In Episode 86 of The Story of Spain, Lucas and Luna explore the human stories behind the Spanish Inquisition's persecution of conversos — Jews who converted to Christianity but were suspected of secretly practicing Judaism. They focus on the period after the Alhambra Decree of 1492, examining the lives of crypto-Jews in cities like Toledo, Sevilla, and Zaragoza. Lucas explains how the Inquisition targeted conversos through the Edict of Faith, the use of fama pública (public reputation), and the Cárcel Secreta in Toledo. The episode delves into the case of Francisco de la Cruz, a converso accused of Judaizing, and the role of inquisitor Alonso de Salazar y Frías, who questioned the reliability of denunciations. Luna and Lucas also discuss the complex identity of conversos, including those who practicing Judaism in secret (crypto-Jews) versus sincere converts. The episode sheds light on the social and economic factors driving the Inquisition's focus on conversos, and the long shadow it cast on Spanish society. #SpanishInquisition #Conversos #CryptoJews #AlhambraDecree #Toledo #Sevilla #EdictOfFaith #CarcelSecreta #FranciscoDeLaCruz #AlonsoDeSalazar #Judaizing #1492 #CatholicMonarchs #Inquisition #Spain #History #FexingoHistory #FerdinandAndIsabella Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo