author
Juan Antonio Llorente
1756–1823
A Spanish priest, historian, and political writer, he is best remembered for turning the archives of the Spanish Inquisition into one of the era's most influential and controversial histories. His life moved from church office and government service to exile, giving his work an unusual mix of insider knowledge and sharp criticism.
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About the author
Born in Rincón de Soto, Spain, in 1756, Juan Antonio Llorente studied law and canon law, was ordained as a priest, and rose through church administration. He served as vicar-general in Calahorra and later worked with the Holy Office, which gave him direct experience with the institutions he would later write about.
During the upheavals of the Napoleonic period in Spain, Llorente sided with the French-backed government of Joseph Bonaparte. After that regime collapsed, he went into exile in France. There he wrote some of his most famous books, including his history of the Spanish Inquisition, drawing on documents he had seen firsthand.
Llorente returned to Madrid late in life and died in 1823. Readers still remember him because his work opened a window onto the inner records of the Inquisition and helped shape how later generations understood that chapter of Spanish history.