Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea facts for kids

Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea (born 1602 – died around 1685) was a Spanish writer and poet. She was born in Zaragoza on April 19, 1602. She passed away in Casbas (Huesca) around 1685.

Life and Work

Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea came from a noble family. Her father, Martin Abarca de Bolea y Castro, was a humanist, which means he loved learning and classical studies.

When she was just three years old, Ana Francisca went to live in the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria in Casbas. She stayed there for the rest of her life. In the monastery, she learned a lot and read many books. She even learned classical Latin! On June 4, 1624, she became a nun. Later, in 1655, she taught new nuns, and in 1672, she became the abbess, which is like the head of the monastery.

Ana Francisca kept in touch with many important writers and scholars of her time. She was especially supported by Vincencio Juan de Lastanosa. Other famous people like Juan Francisco Andrés de Uztarroz and possibly Gracián also knew her. Gracián even praised her and included some of her poems in his book Agudeza y arte de ingenio.

Her main collection of poetry is in a book called Vigilia y Octaverio de San Juan Bautista, published in Zaragoza in 1679. This book is a mix of different types of writing, which was popular back then. It includes a short story and a longer novel. The book is set up like a pastoral novel, where a group of rich shepherds meet near Moncayo. They gather to celebrate the feast of Saint John the Baptist for nine days. During this time, they tell stories, have debates, and share poems and songs.

Ana Francisca's poems often have religious or popular themes. Some of her poems are special because they use the Aragonese language. Her works are some of the few examples of this language from the 1600s. For example, her "birth Albada" is a Christmas poem with twenty verses. It describes old customs and is sung with bagpipes. She even wrote that she hoped this "ancient tongue" would be saved. Experts like Manuel Alvar and Francho Nagore have studied these poems.

Here is a small part of her "Albada de nacimiento" (birth Albada): Media noche era por filos las doce daba el reloch cuando ha nagido en Belén un mozardet como un sol.

Works

• Obra en aragonés de Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea (Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea's work in Aragonese), published in Huesca, 1980.
• Catorce vidas de Santas de la Orden del Císter (Fourteen Holy lives within the Cistercian Order), Zaragoza, 1655.
• Historia del aparecimiento y milagros de Nuestra Señora de Gloria (History of the appearance and miracles of Our Lady of Glory) (manuscript).
• Vida de la Gloriosa Santa Susana, Virgen y Mártir (Life of the Glorious Santa Susana, Virgin and Martyr), Zaragoza, 1671.
• Vida de San Félix Cantalicio (Life of St Felix Cantalicio) (manuscript).
• Vigilia y Octavario de San Juan Bautista (Vigil and Octavario of St. John the Baptist), Zaragoza, 1679.

Images for kids

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  Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea

See also

In Spanish: Ana Francisca Abarca de Bolea para niños