Entre los Austrias y los Borbones. La realidad de un tribunal inquisitorial de distrito: Logroño, 1690-1705

Abstract

The last years of the 17th century and the early 18th in Spain could be defined as a change in dinasty, conflict of succession, social instability and projects of reformation in all fields. Logically, the Inquisition was also affected by these factors. Towards the end of the 17th century, the foundations on which the inquisitorial structure lay were zealousy questioned by different sectors of the body of the Monarchy, and the economic and social basis of the Holy Office left the century inmersed in a deep crisis. With the arrival of Philip V, in collaboration with the Supreme Council, a great number of reform, initiatives were fostered in order to attain the adaptation of the structures and functioning of the Inquisition to the new set of circumstances in which they had to act. The aim of this work has been to unearth in what way this juncture affected the daily dynamics of a district inquisitorial tribunal, like the one in Logroño, that is to say, what impact this situation had on its structure. Therefore, the sociologic characterisation of the bureaucratic group in service to the tribunal, inquisitors and officials, would be the fundamental idea with which we shall try to grasp the reality of this tribunal in the passing years between the 17th and 18th centuries.