Francisca Josefa de la Concepción

Mother Francisca Josefa de la Concepción del Castillo y Guevara, O.S.C.

Allegoric painting of Francisca Josefa de la Concepción, kneeling whilst receiving a mystic vision.

An allegorical portrait of Sister Josefa del Castillo (Collection of the Bank of the Republic of Colombia, ca. 1813).
Born Francisca Josefa de Castillo y Guevara
6 October 1671
Tunja, New Kingdom of Granada, Viceroyalty of Peru, Spanish Empire
Died 1742
Tunja, Viceroyalty of New Granada, Spanish Empire
Occupation nun
Language Spanish
Nationality Spanish
Period 1694—1742
Subject Christian mysticism
Notable works Afectos espirituales

Literature portal

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Castillo and the second or maternal family name is Guevara.

Mother Francisca Josefa de la Concepción, O.S.C., was a Criolla nun and mystic in the region of New Spain which later became Colombia. The first recorded woman writer of Colombia, her devotional and autobiographical writings were published posthumously.[1][2][3]

Personal life

Francisca Josefa de Castillo y Guevara was born into a wealthy family on October 6, 1671 in Tunja, which at the time was part of the New Kingdom of Granada. Her father, Francisco Ventura de CastiIlo y Toledo, an hidalgo colonist originally from Illescas in Spain, was initially appointed General lieutenant of the city and then Mayor. Her mother, María Guevara Niño y Rojas, was a native criolla of Tunja of Basque descent. Francisca Josefa had three siblings whose names were Catalina and Pedro Antonio Diego. Her other sister's name remains unknown.

As a young woman she became a Poor Clare nun at the Royal Monastery of St. Clare, located in her town, where she spent the rest of her life within its walls. She was later appointed abbess of the community three times.

Selected works

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Further reading