Gaspar de Quiroga y Vela facts for kids
Gaspar de Quiroga y Vela was an important leader in the Catholic Church in Spain. He was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Ávila, on January 13, 1512. He became a very powerful official, serving as the head of the Spanish Inquisition from 1573 to 1594. He was also the Archbishop of Toledo, a very important church position, from 1577 until he died in 1594. In 1578, Pope Gregory XIII made him a Cardinal, which is a high rank in the Catholic Church. He was the nephew of Vasco de Quiroga, who was the first Bishop of Michoacán, Mexico.
Life and Career
Gaspar de Quiroga y Vela studied at the University of Salamanca, where he became a doctor in theology and law. These studies prepared him for his important roles in the church and government. King Philip II sent him to Rome and other Spanish territories in Italy as a special representative.
He became a member of the Spanish High Council of Justice in 1563. He also served as the Bishop of Cuenca from 1561 to 1577. Later, he was promoted to Archbishop of Toledo. He took over this role from Bartolomé de Carranza, who had been in prison in Rome.
Quiroga was a supporter of the famous Greek-Spanish painter Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco. El Greco lived in Toledo from 1577. Some people believe that Quiroga's face can be seen in the painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, as the face of Saint Augustine.
Quiroga also helped free the mystical poet Fray Luis de León from the Inquisition's prisons. Luis de León had been imprisoned for over four years. He was held in Valladolid from 1572 to 1576. He was arrested for translating the Song of Solomon into Spanish, among other things. Luis de León was an Augustinian friar and an expert in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.
Around 1584, Quiroga built a summer house across the Tagus River in Toledo. This area is known as the "Cigarrales." Today, this summer house is a hotel. Gaspar de Quiroga y Vela died on November 20, 1594.
See also
In Spanish: Gaspar de Quiroga y Vela para niños
