Santa Rosa de Lima - Viceroyalty of Peru

While the Spaniards took hold and established themselves in Inca lands, in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was created by royal order. Because it was a moment in history in which women were not part of political events, it is analyzed from the community, the styling and the customs of which they were part. The monarchs had to impose their authority correctly because there were conflicts between the conquerors and the original peoples, who were constantly abused. Additionally, an organized and stable administrative and occupation system was required.

Despite the pressure, Indigenous women preserved their ancestral culture and ingenuity. They continued working on farms in small and medium-sized companies. However, in the colonial era the Catholic Church imposed and began the evangelization of the indigenous people, punishing all kinds of manifestations that were not Catholic. Even so, a merger was inevitable.

A notable and representative female character from the time of the Viceroyalty is Isabel Flores de Oliva, better known as “Santa Rosa de Lima”, was born in Lima in 1586. She was the first Christian woman to receive the "Saint" canonization by the Church several years after her death. But even before her canonization, her reputation for holiness was such that she was the first saint to be proclaimed patron saint of Peru,  Indies, and Philippines. Hence you might wonder: how could her life have been? Well, you will find out next.

Since she was a child, Isabel showed great will to help and support others. So much that it upset her parents, who wanted to get her a convenient marriage, which she did not accept. In 1606, she became a tertiary nun of the Dominicans, and she became known for her devotion to prayer. Many miracles were attributed to her, among them were: the protection of the city of Lima from the Dutch corsair Joris Spitberg, the rain of scented flowers in front of Pope Clement IX, and how she cured the sick with the image of the Child Jesus. Isabel passed away due to tuberculosis on August 24 in 1617, at the age of 31.

As it was already mentioned, despite her death, she was declared the patron saint of Peru, Indies and Philippines in 1670. A year later, she was proclaimed by Pope Clement X as the first Saint of Latin American origin. This event caused a festival to be celebrated on August 30, which continues to this day.

Herrero, P. (n.d.). Las mujeres en el Virreinato del Perú. IX Congreso Virtual sobre Historia de las Mujeres. Retrieved April 28, 2022, from https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/6202358.pdf

Rosas, C. (2019). Género y mujeres en la historia del Perú: Del hogar al espacio público. (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú ed.). 

RPP News. (2018, August 30). Santa Rosa de Lima: la primera mujer canonizada de América. RPP. Retrieved April 28, 2022, from https://bit.ly/3kql8yY

La República. (2021, August 30). Santa Rosa de Lima: historia, milagros, muerte y canonización de la patrona de América. Actualidad. Retrieved April 28, 2022, from https://larepublica.pe/datos-lr/actualidad/2021/08/28/santa-rosa-de-lima-historia-quien-fue-biografia-y-muerte-de-la-patrona-de-america-atmp/