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

Mariana Echevarria de Santiago y Ulloa

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Mariana Echavarria

Other names: Marquesa de Torre Tagle

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
She was presumably married to Matías Marqués de Torre Tagle who subscribed to El Mercurio Peruano and the Diario de Lima. In 1820, he went over to the independence cause and pledged support for San Martín. (Clément, 129.)

An extraordinarily beautiful woman, she married Demetrio O'Higgins, Marqués de Osorno, at an early age and was widowed 6 years later. She then married José Bernardo de Tagle Portocarrero e Izázaga, Marqués de Torre Tagle, Governor of La Paz province and a brigadier in the royalist army. They moved to Trujillo where he was to be governor. But they met and became great friends with San Martín and independence was proclaimed in Trujillo in 1820. They returned to Lima where they were staunch supporters of San Martín, opposed to Bolívar. There was a great dance to celebrate independence, to which over 200 women were invited, all beautiful and distinguished; Echevarria took the arm of the Protector, taking the part of a queen. San Martín made Torre Tagle a member of the Orden del Sol and Echevarria a member of the Banda Patriótica. When San Martín retired as protector they were persecuted. Echeverría sought asylum for Torre Tagle in the Convent de las Descalzas. They hid here for a time and a Chilean admiral, Blanco Encalada, told them he had a ship waiting for them in Callao. They left Lima at night with their two youngest sons and other family members (a group of 29 people). They arrived at Callao to find no boat existed and they were all taken prisoner. The Spanish general told the Marques he could return to Spain provided he recognised the Viceroy's authority and accepted the monarchy. This was unacceptable to the Torre Tagles and they remained imprisoned in a filthy shack. They suffered greatly in these conditions, Echevarria was the first to die, followed by the Marques and the rest of the party two weeks later. Two of their children, Josefa and María, survived. (García y García, 260-264)

The widow of the Marqués de Osorno, she married the Marqués de Torre Tagle (José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero) who after having proclaimed independence in Trujillo died in the dungeons of Real Felipe. Described as a singular woman: strong in adversity, sweet and modest, beautiful without paying attention to it, she knew all the benefits of success and the drawbacks of disgrace. Torre Tagle was almost a monarch in Trujillo. She was persecuted by Bolívar's spitefulness who couldn't forgive her support of San Martín. (Parra de Riego, 250)

She was awarded the Orden del Sol by San Martín in 1822. (Gaceta de Lima, 23/1/1822, p.4.)

She died around 1824.

References:

(1950) Gaceta del Gobierno de Lima Independiente, Tomos I-III, Julio 1822-dic 1822
Clément, Jean-Pierre (1979) Indices del Mercurio Peruano, 1790-1795
Davies, Catherine, Brewster, Claire and Owen, Hilary (2006) South American Independence. Gender, Politics, Text
García y García, Elvira (1924) La mujer peruana a través de los siglos
Parra de Riego, Carlos (1935) La limeña conspiradora y patriota