Tomas Treviño de Sobremonte

Tomás Treviño de Sobremonte (1592 – 14 April 1649) was a Crypto-Jewish martyr. Born in Spain, Treviño fled to New Spain at around age 20. There he practiced Judaism secretly until his discovery and execution. His defiance and refusal to accept Catholicism has made him an important figure in studies of early Jews in Latin America, and he is regarded as one of the best-known victims of the Spanish Inquisition.

Biography Tomás Treviño de Sobremonte was born in 1592 in Medina de Rioseco, Spain. There is speculation that he had Portuguese heritage. His father, Antonio Treviño de Sobremonte, was a Christian farmer and caretaker of the church in Medina de Rioseco; his mother, Leonor Martínez de Villagomez, was a New Christian who secretly still practiced Judaism.

Treviño de Sobremonte was first arrested in 1624 on accusations of judaizing (practicing Judaism). As he readily confessed to secretly practicing Judaism since the age of fourteen At first, he refused to admit guilt; eventually, he confessed, and insisted on dying as a Jew.

Tomás Treviño de Sobremonte was executed at the auto-da-fé in the Kingdom of Mexico, New Spain, on 14 April 1649. Before his death, he was offered the chance to repent and accept Catholicism. He refused and was burnt alive at the stake instead of being strangled by garrote, which was considered a more merciful punishment. According to Mexican historian , when the Franciscan friars tried one last time to convince him to accept Catholicism, he retorted "Throw on more wood, this fire costs me enough money."

His house was for a time preserved as a historical landmark, but by 1923 was in ruins.