ABSTRACT
Inquisitorial palaces, the court's headquarters, were not mere elements of useful architecture but had a symbolic relevance among Portuguese Ancien Régime's society. This is even more noticeable in Lisbon, where, besides being the district's tribunal, the Estaus (as it was called) were also headquarters to the Inquisition's Council General, and residence to the inquisitor general. In this article, we intend to show the importance of the Inquisition as locus of social assertion through the example of one of the lay officials of the Inquisition (wardens, bailiffs, guards etc.). Usually, as the inquisitor general, they also dwelled in the Estaus. Nevertheless, we will also see that this importance surpassed the simple certification of purity of blood, and is only understandable within the person's and his family's broader social strategies.
Keywords:
Portuguese Inquisition; Estaus; social mobility; venality of officials.
