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Mental Illness And The Spanish Inquisition: A Tale Of Uncertainty And Suspicion, Alessandro M. Zuccaroli

Student Publications

The Spanish Inquisition prosecuted heresy throughout its lifespan. Occasionally, the question of mental illness confronted inquisitors during proceedings. For example, Bartolomé Sánchez, an impoverished laborer, was arrested and tried by the Spanish Inquisition on three separate occasions and was institutionalized in a mental hospital. In his case, mental illness was likely a reality, yet his inquisitors struggled to determine his mental state despite his outlandish ideology. On the other hand, Miguel de Piedrola, the Soldier-Prophet, was convicted by the Inquisition as a false prophet notwithstanding his employment of the insanity defense. At the center of both cases lay the question …