Diego de Enzinas facts for kids

Diego de Enzinas (born around 1520 – died around March 15, 1547) was a smart scholar from Spain. He was also known as Jacobus Dryander. Diego was a Protestant, which meant he had different religious beliefs from the main church at the time. He lived and worked in places like the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and Netherlands) and Rome. Sadly, he was put on trial and executed by a powerful religious court called the Roman Inquisition.

Diego de Enzinas was the brother of another well-known scholar, Francisco de Enzinas. They grew up in a successful merchant family in Burgos, Spain. Around 1520, Diego was born into this family.

Early Life and Studies

When Diego was young, he went to the Low Countries to learn about business. This was a common path for people from merchant families. On October 28, 1538, he enrolled at the Collegium Trilingue in Louvain. This college was famous for teaching three languages: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

Diego also continued his studies in Paris, which was another important center for learning. These studies helped him become a well-educated person.

The Controversial Book

In March 1542, Diego was in Antwerp, a city in the Low Countries. He was helping to print a small but very important book. The book was called Breve y compendiosa institución de la religión cristiana, which means "Brief and Comprehensive Institution of the Christian Religion."

This book was a translation of a religious text by John Calvin, a key leader of the Protestant Reformation. Diego's brother, Francisco, had translated it. The book also included a translation of another important work by Martin Luther, called Freedom of the Christian Man. Luther was another major figure in the Protestant movement.

The book also had a special introduction, which some historians believe Diego himself wrote. This introduction shared Protestant ideas, especially about "justification by faith." This idea meant that people could be saved by their faith in God, not just by following church rules.

Trouble with the Inquisition

Diego had a plan to secretly bring copies of this book into Spain. However, the Spanish Inquisition found out about his plan. The Inquisition was a powerful religious court in Spain that punished people who had different religious beliefs.

Because of this danger, Diego's family convinced him to go to Rome, where they hoped he would be safer. In Rome, Diego joined a group of people who shared similar evangelical (Protestant-like) ideas.

However, the Roman Inquisition was also very active in Rome. In 1542, it became even more powerful. Diego got into serious trouble when a letter he had written to Martin Luther was stopped and read by the authorities.

Trial and Execution

The Roman Inquisition arrested Diego. During his questioning, he was forced to reveal the names of the people in his religious group. After a trial, Diego de Enzinas was found guilty. He was executed by being burned at the stake around March 15, 1547.

Diego de Enzinas is remembered as a brave scholar who stood up for his beliefs during a time of great religious change.

See also

In Spanish: Diego de Enzinas para niños