What was the name of the supreme council governing the Inquisition?

The supreme council governing the Spanish Inquisition was known as the Suprema. Its formal title was the Council of the Supreme and General Inquisition, and it coordinated the Inquisition’s many regional tribunals across the Spanish monarchy.

The council was created in 1483 under the authority of the Inquisitor General. It usually had about six members, though its membership could rise to ten, and its councillors were appointed by the crown. The Suprema reviewed cases, issued instructions, supervised tribunals, and helped enforce a common inquisitorial policy.

The Suprema was not the same thing as the Holy Office. The Holy Office was the broader institution—the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition—while the Suprema was its central governing council. Nor should it be confused with Spain’s ordinary Royal Council or the modern Supreme Court, despite the similar English wording.

Over time, the council’s influence grew, sometimes at the expense of the Inquisitor General. Beneath it operated local tribunals, including those in Castile, Aragon, Sicily, and later Spanish America. This structure allowed the monarchy to coordinate religious policing across a large empire.