Inquisition manuals acted as the play books directing the efforts of the Holy Office. Possibly the most important work in the collection is a first edition of the manual, Directorium Inquisitorium . . . (al fin:) Explicit totum directorium inquisitorum heretice pravitatis compilatum auinione, published in Barcelona in 1503. This manual, compiled by the 14th-century inquisitor general of Aragon, Nicolas Eymeric, was the basis for all such manuals to follow. A second edition of this work is also found here. The collection includes a 1561 manual published by the second inquisitor general of the unified Spain, Fernando de Valdés, Copilación de las Instrucciones del Oficio de la Santa Inquisición . . . that included the establishment of regional Holy Offices in five jurisdictional districts. This particular edition contains a manuscript with the procedures for swearing in new officials of the Holy Office. Six other manuals, including a 1576 edition of a manual by Tomás de Torquemada, can be found in the collection.

#30 - Compilación de las Instrucciones del Oficio de la Santa Inquisición (Toledo)

#31: Copilación de las Instrucciones del Oficio de la Santa Inquisición

The Inquisition Collection is housed in the Department of Special Collections at the University of Notre Dame. For questions about the Collection or comments about this site please write to rarebook.1@nd.edu, or call (574) 631-5610 between 8am and 5pm EST.