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How did the Spanish Inquisition respond to the Protestant Reformation?

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Pedro Berruguete: St. Dominic Presiding at an Auto-da-Fé — inquisition *St. Dominic Presiding at an Auto-da-Fé*, panel by Pedro Berruguete, c. 1503; in the Prado, Madrid.

When the Protestant Reformation began to penetrate Spain, the Spanish Inquisition responded by systematically eliminating the relatively small number of Spanish Protestants within its borders. Foreigners suspected of promoting Protestant faiths in Spain were also met with violent measures.1

Beyond targeting Protestants directly, the Inquisition used its authority to enforce strict religious orthodoxy, which led to the persecution of prominent Roman Catholics and groups that diverged from established doctrine, such as the Alumbrado movement and adherents of Erasmianism.1

While the Spanish Inquisition operated as a tool of the monarchy to consolidate power, its efforts were part of a broader Catholic response to the Reformation. In the Low Countries, Charles V introduced the Inquisition to combat Protestantism, though these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful in that region. Additionally, the church utilized the Index Librorum Prohibitorum to suppress Protestant writings, further attempting to curb the spread of Reformation ideas.12