Isabella I of Castile
1451 – 1504 Castilian Queen of Castile, co-sponsor of the Inquisition and 1492 expulsion
Queen who, with Ferdinand, established the Spanish Inquisition and signed the 1492 order expelling the Jews.
- Religion
- Roman Catholicism
- Affiliations
- Crown of Castile; Catholic Monarchs with Ferdinand II
Isabella ruled Castile and, through her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon, helped unite Spain under Catholic rule. In 1478 the couple obtained papal approval for a royal Inquisition, aimed largely at converts suspected of secretly practicing Judaism. In March 1492 they issued the Alhambra Decree, ordering all practicing Jews to convert or leave Spain.