Sammelband of Three Spanish Inquisition Manuscript Leaves. Cet article n’est pas disponible.Sammelband of Three Spanish Inquisition Manuscript Leaves

This is an intriguing manuscript of records of the Spanish Inquisition,consisting of three folio leaves, written in three different hands, possibly at different dates, mounted in a later paper cover. The three manuscript leaves all show different chain lines and the first and the third have watermarks, both different. The first manuscript leaf, on the recto only, refers to a case concerning the alcalde/mayor of Murcia, Diego de Los Rios, who, according to Dr. Natalie Oetjen of the Centre for Renaissance Reformation Studies who examined the manuscript for us, had been denounced to the Inquisition. He, along with others, had been absolved. “It would have been copied from earlier records and preserved to demonstrate the innocence of that person and his descendants. The laws limperia de sangre or “purity of blood” in 16th century Spain required that anyone holding public office (among other professions) have “pure” Christian blood and not have any taint of being sentenced by the inquisitian in their lineage.” The leaf ends with “Por mandado de los senores del consejo” — By order of the Lords of the [Inquisition] Council — and indicates that it was sealed in Madrid on the 21st of February 1503. The second leaf, again written on the recto only, refers to Moriscos (Muslims who converted to Christianity under threat) in Granada, Valencia and Murcia, as well as baptism and confessions, along with a note about the Moriscos being penitent. It, like the first leaf, mentions the (Inquisition) Council and finally refers to a legal document by its lengthy call numbers. The date of 1503 on the first leaf and the mention of Moriscos in the second is intriguing. Spanish Muslims had been granted religious freedom in 1492, but the Catholic Church started burning Islamic texts and forcibly baptising Muslims in 1499, causing an armed rebellion. In 1502, Queen Isabella decreed forced conversion of all Muslims — or death or expulsion — even in Murcia, where the Muslim population had remained peaceful. Nearly overnight, the Murcian Muslim population became “Moriscos” — although the term was not widely used until later in the 1500s. The third leaf is written on the recto with a lovely flourished signature/seal on the verso. It is the most difficult hand and appears to be the oldest. We are, unfortunately, unable to decipher much of it, except that it mentions a “capitan” a few times and there are also multiple references to sending something or someone. The beautiful signature can be appreciated esthetically but its maker remains a mystery.The manuscript leaves measure 12” x 8.” They are in good antiquarian condition, with some light chipping to edges with very slight loss, a few short closed tears, early rag paper is sturdy and supple. Some minor pinholes where the ink has damaged the paper. The paper cover is a folded folio leaf with chainlines and the bold watermark of El Paular (the famous monastery where the paper for the first edition of Don Quixote was made). The watermark appears similar to those in the Filigranas Hispanicas database from the late 1700s but none that we could find match exactly. We have not yet been able to identify the watermarks on the manuscript leaves.; Folio 13" - 23" tall.…