# Spanish Inquisition (1478)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1478-spanish-inquisition
Location: Castile, Spain
Themes: Persecution

Ferdinand and Isabella establish the Spanish Inquisition under royal control. At this point in the timeline (1478), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Sixtus IV (9 August 1471 – 12 August 1484).

## Why it matters
Spanish Inquisition mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Sixtus IV](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-sixtus-iv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Spanish Inquisition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Spanish Inquisition](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Spanish+Inquisition)
- [Wikipedia — Medieval Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church#Middle_Ages)