In the beginning of the 17th century, the underground Jewish community of Ribadavia was shaken to its core by a man known as Xerónimo Bautista de Mena, a dark figure in local lore known as “the snitch.” He had delivered a list to the Inquisitional authorities—in this very Seat of the Inquisition—naming the local families that continued secretly following the Jewish faith.

These revelations triggered a devastating series of autos-da-fé, public executions by burning, stripping of assets, and imprisonments. He betrayed his own mother and siblings, thought to be revenge for receiving less inheritance than some of his brothers. What resulted was an atmosphere of suspicion and betrayal in the Jewish community, with family members snitching on each other in the torturous interrogations. Bautista de Mena was found dead in the street in 1607, assassinated by an unknown assailant.

The Spanish Inquisition took more than a century to officially take hold of this town. The local Seat of the Inquisition (“Casa de la Inquisición”) is hidden in plain sight on a small street like any other in the old part of town. The conservative ornamentation of the portal betrays the otherwise unassuming corner building.

The five coats of arms above the portal represent the five local families tasked with carrying out the Inquisition in this part of Galicia. The bottom floor had been repurposed as a cobbler’s shop after it stopped serving its official purpose. It has since been left vacant, but the upper floors are residential and are still occupied by tenants.