Based on the provided document, here is a summary of the trial of María González (1511–1512):
Introduction and Background
- Case Reopening: María González, a Converso from Ciudad Real, had her case reopened in 1511 despite having confessed and been reconciled with the Church during the 1483 Period of Grace.
- Reason for Trial: She was reinvestigated for making remarks that those burnt by the Inquisition, including her husband Pedro Díaz de Villarrubia, died as martyrs.
- Judaizing History: Evidence suggested she and her husband had been active Judaizers for many years, with testimony dating as far back as 1475.
- Arrest and Early Admonitions: She was arrested on July 2, 1511, and repeatedly admonished to confess her sins against the Catholic faith.
Arraignment and Charges (September 1511)
- The Prosecution’s Case: The fiscal accused María of being a “false and simulated” convert.
- Specific Allegations: Charges included maliciously omitting her husband’s Jewish practices in her 1483 confession, observing the Sabbath, fasting, following Jewish dietary laws, and claiming those executed by the Inquisition were martyrs.
- Defendant’s Response: María initially claimed she had not followed Jewish practices since 1483. During the arraignment, she admitted to some past practices with her husband but denied several newer charges, such as saying her husband died a martyr.
Defense Pleadings
- Counsel Appointment: The court appointed Alonso de Baena as her procurador and the Licenciado de Herrera as her defense lawyer.
- Defense Arguments: The defense argued that María had confessed everything she knew in 1483 and that any omitted details were due to her failing memory as an elderly woman.
- Witness Credibility: They claimed the witnesses against her were “enemies” and “infamous persons” seeking to destroy her.
Evidence and Testimonies
- Historical Evidence: The file included testimonies from 1475 and 1483 detailing her long-term observance of Jewish rites, such as lighting candles on Friday nights and wearing clean clothes on the Sabbath.
- Recent Testimonies: Witnesses from 1511 testified that María claimed her husband appeared to her in a dream “as an angel” and that she requested Masses for him, asserting he was a martyr.
- Retraction: While in prison, María eventually retracted her original 1483 confession, leading the Inquisitors to suspect she was being influenced by other prisoners.
The Sentence and Execution (1512)
- The Consulta-de-fe: On July 8, 1512, the council of theologians and jurists voted to hand her over to the “Secular Arm” for execution.
- Grounds for Conviction: She was declared a “fictitious penitent,” a relapsed heretic, and a supporter of heretics.
- Final Sentence: The court ordered the confiscation of all her property and disqualified her descendants from holding public office or honors.
- Execution: María González was burnt at the stake on August 16, 1512, in the Plaza de Zocodover in Toledo.
The initial charges against María González in 1511 were based on her being a “false and simulated” convert who maliciously omitted details of her heretical practices during her original 1483 confession.
Context of the Trial
- Reopened Case: María was a Converso from Ciudad Real who had previously confessed and been reconciled with the Church during the 1483 Period of Grace.
- Reason for Prosecution: The 1511 trial was triggered by reports that she had claimed those executed by the Inquisition, including her husband Pedro Díaz de Villarrubia (a prominent merchant), died as martyrs.
- Historical Judaizing: Investigations revealed that she and her husband had been active Judaizers for many years, with some witness testimony dating as far back as 1475.
- Arrest: She was arrested on July 2, 1511, after it was reported she requested Masses for her “heretic husband” at the San Francisco Church, asserting his innocence.
Specific Initial Charges (September 1511)
The fiscal (prosecutor) filed an arraignment on September 4, 1511, detailing several charges of heresy and apostasy:
- Observance of the Sabbath: Maliciously failing to confess that she and her husband observed the Sabbath by wearing clean clothes, lighting new candles on Friday nights, and preparing food in advance.
- Jewish Rituals and Prayers: Reading Jewish prayer books and observing Jewish fasts (not eating until nightfall) and festivals, such as the Passover of the Tabernacles (Pascuas de las Cabañuelas).
- Dietary Laws: Adhering to Jewish dietary restrictions, including avoiding prohibited meats like rabbit, hare, and scale-less fish (eel, octopus, or conger).
- Defending Heretics: Claiming that those burnt by the Inquisition were martyrs who ascended to heaven and asserting that her husband had been unjustly condemned by “false witnesses”.
- Fictitious Penitence: Being an “impenitent” and “simulated” convert who continued to favor heretics after her initial reconciliation.