Enriqueta Favez facts for kids

Enriqueta Favez (born around 1791 – died 1856) was a skilled Swiss doctor and surgeon. She worked as a doctor during the Napoleonic Wars and later in Cuba. Even though she was a woman, Favez lived and worked as a male surgeon for about four years in Cuba. This led to a well-known event where she had to leave the Spanish territories. After leaving, she became a nurse named Sor Magdalena in New Orleans. She worked for the Daughters of Charity Services and eventually became a leader in that group.

Life Story of Enriqueta Favez

Enriqueta Favez was likely born in Lausanne, Switzerland, around 1791. Her family background is not fully known. According to her own words, her parents passed away when she was a baby. She married a French soldier when she was young. A few years later, both her husband and baby daughter died.

Becoming a Doctor

Favez stayed in Paris and began studying medicine at the Sorbonne. To pursue her studies and career, she dressed and lived as a man, taking on the identity of an army officer. After graduating, she worked as a surgeon for the French army during the Napoleonic Wars. She was later captured by forces led by Wellington in Spain.

Working in Cuba

After the war, Favez moved to Cuba. She received her medical license in Habana and started her own practice in Baracoa. This was a small town in eastern Cuba. She mostly helped the local people who were poor.

Later, Favez married a woman named Juana de Léon. They lived together in Baracoa.

A New Path

After some time, people in Baracoa began to wonder about Favez's true identity. Her identity as a woman was discovered, and she was arrested. She had to leave Cuba and the Spanish territories.

Favez then traveled to New Orleans. There, she joined the Daughters of Charity Services as a nun. She was known as Sor Magdalena. She continued to provide medical help to those in need. Eventually, she became a Mother Superior, a leading role in her group. She passed away in New Orleans at the age of 65. She never returned to Cuba.

Enriqueta Favez's Impact

Enriqueta Favez's life story is shared in several books. One important book is For Dressing Like a Man by Cuban historian Julio Cesar Gonzáles Pagés. This book helped bring her story to light. Pagés explored the challenges Favez faced during her time.

Favez's life has also inspired films and plays. A documentary film about her was made in 2005 by director Lídice Pérez. The theater group Rita Montaner also created a play about her. In 2018, a Cuban-Swiss film called Insumisas was released. In this movie, Sylvie Testud played the role of Enriqueta Favez.

See also

In Spanish: Enrique Favez para niños