Which earlier church inquisition did the Spanish Inquisition replace in Spain?

The earlier church inquisition that the Spanish Inquisition replaced in Spain was the Medieval Inquisition.

The Medieval Inquisition developed under papal authority during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly to combat heresies such as Catharism in southern France and northern Italy. Its tribunals were generally operated by papal legates and religious orders, especially Dominicans and Franciscans.

The Spanish Inquisition was created in 1478 by Pope Sixtus IV at the request of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Unlike the earlier system, it was closely controlled by the Spanish monarchy, making it a powerful royal institution as well as a religious tribunal.

A common mix-up is with the Roman Inquisition, established later in 1542, or the Portuguese Inquisition, established in 1536. The Spanish Inquisition did not simply continue either institution; it replaced the older papal inquisition framework in Spain with a monarchy-directed one.