Licenciado Alonso Molina de Medrano, inquisitor of Zaragoza in 1591, played a decisive role in one of the most politically charged episodes of late 16th-century Spain: the imprisonment of Antonio Pérez. Alongside Doctors Morejón and Mendoza, Medrano received orders from the
Suprema (Supreme Council of the Inquisition) to detain Pérez and Juan Francisco Mayorin. His written responses, dated between May and August of 1591 and preserved in the
Archivo de la Aljafería, reveal his strict adherence to procedural orthodoxy, despite widespread unrest in Zaragoza and mounting pressure from the Viceroy, the Archbishop, and civil authorities. Molina de Medrano consistently argued for the integrity and independence of the Holy Office, resisting efforts to release Pérez. His determination, however, made him a target of public outrage. Pasquines (public slanders), death threats, and riots culminated in his request to be allowed to withdraw from Zaragoza, citing the real and increasing danger to his life. His correspondence shows both his legalistic reasoning and the political complexities of operating as an inquisitor in a volatile moment when religious authority collided with royal intrigue. As an inquisitor, Alonso Molina de Medrano is described in a more favorable light compared to his colleague, Juan Hurtado de Mendoza; Alonso was reluctant to persecute and made his decision to directly send important documents to the inquisitor-general, bypassing the
tribunal, "Molina de Medrano received the letter of the regent, and the depositions which accompanied it; but instead of communicating them to the tribunal, he sent them by the first courier to Quiroga, the inquisitor-general." His role was to conduct official inquisitorial interrogations under the authority of the Cardinal.
Zaragoza revolt As an inquisitor in
Zaragoza during the volatile period surrounding the arrest of Antonio Pérez, Alonso Molina de Medrano played a pivotal role in the events that triggered the 1591
Zaragoza revolt. When Pérez was transferred to the prison of the Holy Office, his allies—including the Baron de Bárboles—rallied the citizens of Zaragoza, inciting an uprising with cries of "Treason! Long live our liberties! Long live the Fueros!" Within an hour, over a thousand armed men attacked the residence of Alonso's cousin, the Marquess of Almenara, who later died from his injuries. The mob also threatened the Archbishop and the Viceroy, Bishop of Teruel, and attempted to set fire to the Castle of
Aljafería, seat of the Inquisition, demanding the release of Pérez and a fellow prisoner, Mayorini. Alonso Molina de Medrano adamantly refused to release the prisoners despite repeated appeals from the Archbishop, the Viceroy, and leading nobles such as the Counts of Aranda and Morata. His defiance escalated the crisis until he ultimately consented to a compromise: Pérez and Mayorini would not be freed, but transferred from the Inquisition’s custody to the civil prison of the kingdom. The decision left the inquisitors—including Alonso Molina de Medrano—in a precarious position. They halted further arrests and issued communications to the Holy Office commissioners to justify their actions. Citing the papal bull of
Pius V (April 1, 1569), Alonso Molina de Medrano and the other inquisitors sought to defend their position while contemplating an edict of
excommunication against those who had resisted them. This plan was ultimately abandoned at the urging of the Archbishop. == Knight of the Order of Santiago ==