home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Juana Inés de Asbaje was born near Mexico City on November 12, 1651. From a young age she showed promise of great intellectual achievement. Though fame of her intellectual abilities spread, Asbaje was denied an opportunity to attend the University of Mexico, as women at that time were not allowed to pursue higher education. In February 1669 Asbaje adopted the name Sor (Sister) Juana Inés de la Cruz and entered the convent of San Jerónimo. The convent offered women the freedom to study. Over the next 25 years at San Jerónimo, de la Cruz assembled a library of over 4,000 volumes and collected many scientific instruments. De la Cruz became well known for her writing, particularly her defense of women who choose intellectual pursuits over more traditional roles. Her works include: Flood from the Muses’ Springs, Second Volume of the Works of Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Fame and Posthumous Works of the Mexican Phoenix and Tenth Muse. In her later years, de la Cruz sold her books and scientific equipment and gave up all contact with the outside world. She died in 1695 while nursing her sister nuns during an epidemic.
