Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, c. 1685. Juan Miranda, Oil on canvas: 191 x 123 cm. Collection of the Rectory Tower, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City.
was born Juana Inés Ramírez de Asbaje in the village of San Miguel Nepantla on December 2, 1648. When I was eight years old I was sent to live with my aunt in Mexico City. I was a curious child who loved to learn new things, and the vicereine took a liking to me. She saw to my education and introduced me to the finest intellects in the capital. When I reached the age of marriage, I chose to enter the Jeronymite Convent of Santa Paula. I knew I would be able to pursue my literary and musical studies there amidst the company of sympathethic women.My life in the convent was stimulating and rewarding. I held regular cultural gatherings in my quarters, and published poems and plays that earned a popular following. I was especially fond of spending time in my library where I studied the works of great philosphers, theologians, and mathematicians. Unfortunately, my success as a woman intellectual threatened certain men in the Church, and I was eventually persuaded to sell my books and give up writing in 1694. I died in 1695 while tending the sick during an epidemic.
Today I am celebrated as a Mexican literary hero and an important model for women intellectuals.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Indian MinerGuaman Poma de AyalaConquistador/Settler
Canary Islander