The Golden Age of Spain, 1474–1598 - 4 The campaign for orthodoxy,…

The idea

The drive for orthodoxy combined religious conviction with fears that Lutheran ideas threatened Spain's unity. Inquisitor General Fernando de Valdés spearheaded this campaign, using the threat of heresy to bolster the Inquisition's power. In May 1558, Charles V, having abdicated and retired, wrote to Juana, who was acting as regent for Philip II, urging severe action against heresy. The case of Archbishop Carranza of Toledo, arrested by Valdés in 1559, showed that even the highest churchman could be investigated, severely straining relations with the papacy. Persecution in 1559–62, marked by autos da fé and Valdés's index of prohibited books of 1558–59, largely suppressed organised Protestantism in Spain.

What earns the marks

• Explains the reasons for the drive for orthodoxy, including religious conviction, fear of Lutheran infiltration and the desire to protect Spanish unity.
• Describes the role of Inquisitor General Fernando de Valdés in leading the campaign, issuing the 1559 Index, and prosecuting high-profile figures like Carranza.
• Explains the significance of Charles's letter to Juana in May 1558 as royal encouragement for rigorous action against heresy.
• Analyses the Carranza case as evidence that even senior churchmen faced investigation, and explains how it strained relations with the papacy.
• Explains how autos da fé and the index of prohibited books of 1558–59 contributed to the impact of persecution on Protestantism in 1559–62.
• Assesses the extent to which persecution suppressed organised Protestantism in Spain by the early 1560s.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing Fernando de Valdés with Juan de Valdés.

  Put it right by identifying Fernando de Valdés as the Inquisitor General who drove the persecution, not the reformist writer.

• Assuming the Carranza case was simply a personal dispute.

  Put it right by linking it to wider tensions over royal and inquisitorial authority against the papacy.

• Claiming persecution eliminated all Protestant belief instantly.

  Put it right by explaining that organised Protestantism was largely suppressed while isolated sympathies could persist.

Exam tips

• Name each element of the campaign explicitly, such as the letter to Juana, the Carranza case, autos da fé and the index, and explain its contribution.
• When discussing relations with the papacy, show how the Carranza case created friction rather than treating it as a separate topic.
• Use the 1559–62 chronology to frame the assessment of persecution's impact on Protestantism.