Grand Inquisitor

Grand Inquisitor (Inquisitor Generalis, literally Inquisitor General or General Inquisitor) was the lead official of the Inquisition. The title usually refers to the chief inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, even after the reunification of the inquisitions. Secretaries-general of the Roman Inquisition were often styled as Grand Inquisitor but the role and functions were different.

The Portuguese Inquisition was headed by a Grand Inquisitor, or General Inquisitor, named by the Pope but selected by the king, always from within the royal family.

The most famous Inquisitor General was the Spanish Dominican Tomás de Torquemada, who spearheaded the Spanish Inquisition.

List of inquisitors-general of Portugal

 * D. Diogo da Silva (1536–1539), Archbishop of Braga.
 * Cardinal Dom Henrique (1539–1579), Archbishop of Braga, became King of Portugal.
 * D. Manuel de Meneses (1578–1578), Bishop of Lamego and Bishop of Coimbra, killed at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir.
 * D. Jorge de Almeida (1580–1585), Archbishop of Lisbon.
 * Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (1586–1593), Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo, Viceroy of Portugal.
 * D. António de Matos de Noronha (1596–1602), Bishop of Elvas.
 * D. Jorge de Ataíde (1602), Bishop of Viseu, refused the position.
 * D. Alexandre de Bragança, (1602–1604), Archbishop of Evora.
 * D. Pedro de Castilho (1605–1615), Grand Chaplain of King Philip II of Portugal.
 * D. Fernando Martins Mascarenhas (1615–1628), Bishop of Algarve and Bishop of Faro.
 * D. Francisco de Castro, (1630–1653), Bishop of Guarda.
 * D. Sebastião César de Meneses (1663–1668). Appointed by King Afonso VI of Portugal, but not confirmed by Pope Alexander VII due to the lack of recognition of the new Portuguese State by the Holy See.
 * D. Pedro de Lencastre (1671–1673), Archbishop of Braga and Duke of Aveiro.
 * D. Veríssimo de Lencastre (1676–1692), Archbishop of Braga.
 * D. Frei José de Lencastre (1693–1705), Bishop of Bragança-Miranda and Bishop of Leiria.
 * D. Nuno da Cunha e Ataíde (1707–1750), Grand Chaplain of King Pedro II of Portugal and John V of Portugal.
 * D. José de Bragança (1758–1760), bastard son of John V of Portugal.
 * D. João Cosme da Cunha (1770–1783), Archbishop of Evora and minister of Justice.
 * Frei Inácio de São Caetano (1787–1788), confessor of Queen Maria I of Portugal.
 * D. José Maria de Melo (1790–1818), Bishop of Algarve, Bishop of Faro and confessor of Queen Maria I of Portugal.
 * D. José Joaquim da Cunha Azeredo Coutinho (1818-1821), Bishop of Elvas.