Born: 12 November 1648, Mexico
Died: 17 April 1695
Country most active: Mexico
Also known as: Sor Juana
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
She was a famous writer, poetess, and Mexican latinist, called in her time the “poetic genius.” This celebrity was born in the village of San Miguel Nepantla, near Amecameca, on November 12, 1651. Her father was a well to do Spaniard who had settled in Mexico. His name was Manuel de Asbaje. He married a beautiful Mexican woman, her name was Isabel Ramirez de Cantillana. They had several children, one of them was Juana Ines, a beautiful child. At the age of three she was able to read. At the age of eight, in order to win a book given as a prize, she wrote a poem that attracted the attention of all the persons that read it. She asked her parents for their permission to go to Mexico City until they finally agreed, realizing that her intelligence would have a very ample field in that city, where she lived in the care of her grandfather, who had a large library composed of books pertaining to arts and science, all of which were read by her. This fact being incredible for she was only nine years old at the time.
After a few years she acquired a vast knowledge of Latin, several other languages, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, theology, mathematics, law, history, poetry, architecture and music, all of which she mastered. The vast knowledge aforesaid made her famous among those whom she knew. At that time she entered the Palace of the Viceroy and was given the title of “Very Dear to the Viceroys” In these circumstances she became the wonder of the Colonial Court. She held many controversies with the writers of the time in which she always was victorious. When her glory was shining brighter than ever, and much to the surprise of everyone, she decided to enter a convent, where she dedicated herself to painting and music. Both arts she mastered with near perfection. Two of her most famous books are Amor es Laberinto and Los empenos de una casa. After twenty-seven years in the convent she sold her books and many manuscripts and distributed the money among the poor. She died on the 17th day of April, 1695, from an epidemic that was taking many lives over the city.