Alfonso de Castro

Alfonso de Castro was a Spanish Franciscan theologian and jurist of the sixteenth century, associated with the School of Salamanca though he rejected the idea that he belonged to any single theological school. Educated at Salamanca and later at the University of Alcala, he held a chair of theology at Salamanca for thirty years while also preaching in Germany, England and at the court of the Emperor Charles V. De Castro's most distinctive contribution to law was his pioneering work on penal law, exploring the theological foundations of criminal punishment with enough authority that he came to be known as princeps poenalistarum, prince of the penal law scholars. He was named archbishop of Compostela shortly before his death in 1558, though he died before he could be consecrated.