Law and Memory. The Many Aspects of the Legal Inquisition in the Medieval Crown of Aragon

Abstract

This article discusses the importance of the legal inquisition in the medieval Crown of Aragon. The form is reviewed from its Roman origins through the influence of Visigothic law and that of the various law codes of eastern Spain during the Middle Ages. The use of the legal inquisition by the crown, the church, the nobility and town governments clearly demonstrates how adaptable it could be. The form's manipulation of both written evidence and witness testimony is crucial for the understanding of how Iberian law perceived and shaped the memory of past events.