Converso

A converso (; ; feminine form conversa, ) was a Jew who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, or one of their descendants.

~24 min read

Article

17 sections

Contents

History
Description
Conversos and the Spanish Golden Age
Religious identity and assimilation
Perpetuation of Jewish heritage
Spanish Inquisition discipline
By country
In Spain
In Italy
Notable conversos and their descendants
First-generation conversos
Later generations
Possible/debated
See also
Further reading
References
External links

A converso (; ; feminine form conversa, ) was a Jew who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, or one of their descendants.

To safeguard the Old Christian population and ensure that the converso New Christians were true to their new faith, the Holy Office of the Inquisition was established in Spain in 1478. The Catholic Monarchs of Spain Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the remaining openly practising Jews by the Alhambra Decree of 1492 following the Christian Reconquista (reconquest) of Spain. However, a significant proportion of these remaining practising Jews chose to join the already large converso community rather than face exile. As a result of the Alhambra Decree, over 200,000 Jews converted to Catholicism and between 40,000 and 100,000 were expelled.