An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Manuela Rábago Y Avella Fuertes de Riglos

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Manuela Rabago

Tertulia

Other names: Avellafuerte, Abella Fuertes, Rávago

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
She was born in 1809 in Lima. Her parents were Brigadier Simón Díaz de Rábago y Gutiérrez Morante, a caballero de Santiago, Secretario de Cámera y Gobierno of the Viceroy of Peru and Manuela de Avella-Fuerte y Querejazu, Condesa de San Pascual. When she was 16 she married José de Riglos y La Salle, first consul in the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, based in Lima. She was a highly talented writer and a good singer who founded the first literary salon in Lima, that was known as the Stael Peruana. It became an obligatory venue for politicians, literary people, educators and distinguished foreigners. She was a very modest woman whose conversation was full of bright ideas, yet whose favourite expression was "callar para escuchar". Alcedo wrote the national anthem at her clavicord, and she sang it in public for the first time. When San Martín heard it he declared "Este será de hoy en adelante, el Himno Nacional del Perú." All the writers and poets of this time gathered here and they produced literary magazines. (García y García, 324-326)

She founded a literary salon in Lima, Stael Peruana, attended by the literary cliques of the era. She contributed to magazines and newspapers. Alcedo is said to have written the National Anthem in her house (Romero de Valle, 265) .

She died in 1842.

References:

García y García, Elvira (1924) La mujer peruana a través de los siglos
Romero de Valle, Emilia (1966) Diccionario manual de literatura peruana y materias afines