The Spanish Inquisition, which had been established…

The Spanish Inquisition, which had been established on Mallorca in 1488, has through the centuries continued the persecution of Christians suspected of judaizing.

The Tribunal of the Inquisition on Majorca had in 1679 organized five large autos-de-fé.

More than two hundred and fifty descendants of Majorca’s converted Jews are accused of judaizing, and two hundred and nieteeb were condemned and forcibly baptized.

Following these events, the descendants of the Jews have attempted to integrate in the society, but the stigma, manifested by the humiliating garments of penitence, the Sanbenito, has made it very difficult to assimilate.

Rafel Cortès, (also known as Cap loco or Crazy head), had remarried, this time with a woman with a converso surname, Miró, but who is Catholic.

His family did not congratulate him on getting married and censured him for having married someone not of Jewish ancestry.

Hurt in his pride, he denounced some of their correligionists before the Inquisition of maintaining the prohibited faith.

Suspecting that he had made a general denunciation, they agree upon a mass escape.

A large group of thirty-seven converts embarks clandestinely on an English vessel on March 7, 1688, but unexpected rough weather prevents them from leaving and at daybreak, they return to their houses.

The Inquisition is notified of this and all of the group is arrested and condemned a second time.