Beatriz Galindo, sometimes spelled Beatrix and also known as La Latina ( – 23 November 1535), was a Spanish Latinist and educator. She was a writer, humanist and a teacher of Queen Isabella of Castile and her children. She was one of the most educated women of her time. There is uncertainty about her date of birth; some authors believe it was 1464 or 1465. The La Latina neighborhood in Madrid is named after her.

Life

Beatriz Galindo was born in

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

, into a family of Zamoran origin in the lower nobility of

hidalgos Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

; they had been wealthy but by the time of her birth were almost destitute. Her family chose her among her sisters to become a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

, since she was fond of reading, and they allowed her to receive more education in grammar at one of the dependent institutions of the

University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...

to help her career before taking her vows, but her great skill in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

set her on an academic career before she was twelve years old. It is likely that she was at one time a student of the great Spanish scholar

Antonio de Nebrija Antonio de Nebrija (14445 July 1522) was the most influential Spanish humanist of his era. He wrote poetry, commented on literary works, and encouraged the study of classical languages and literature, but his most important contributions were i ...

.Spanish Ministry of Education She was nicknamed La Latina for her skill in Latin, and was appointed tutor to the children of Queen Isabella of Castile. She was tutor to five queens altogether: Isabella herself, her daughters

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

and

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

(both queens of Portugal),

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

, the future wife of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, and

Joanna of Castile Joanna of Castile (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad (), was the nominal queen of Castile from 1504 and queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile ...

, the future wife of Philip of Habsburg and later known as Juana the Mad.Women's History at About.com She wrote in Latin, producing poetry and a commentary on

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

. In December 1491 she married royal adviser Francisco Ramirez de Madrid. They had two children. She was one of the first women to be active in public life during

the renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

. It is reported that she dressed in the habit of a nun or abbess. She founded the Hospital of the Holy Cross (''Santa Cruz de Madrid'') in 1506 in Madrid, which still exists. She died in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, aged about 70.

Legacy

The neighbourhood in Madrid where she once lived is known today as La Latina from her nickname. There are statues of her in Salamanca and Madrid. There is a Beatriz Galindo Secondary School in

. In Salamanca there is an early education and primary school that also takes her name. The novel ''Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters'' by Wendy J. Dunn is inspired by her story.Impressions in Ink
(Review) Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters, Book One of the Katherine of Aragon Story by Wendy J. Dunn
published 20 January 2021, accessed 26 September 2021

Notes

References

The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science
by

Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie (born March 22, 1936) is an American historian of science known especially for her work on the history of women in science. She taught at Oklahoma Baptist University before becoming curator of the History of Science Colle ...

and

Joy Dorothy Harvey Joy Dorothy Harvey (born 1934) is an American historian of science. Life Harvey gained a PhD from Harvard University in 1983. She has been an associate editor of the Darwin Correspondence Project, and written a biography of Clémence Royer, ...

, Taylor & Francis, 2000.
The Hidden Giants
Women in Science by starlady. Accessed July 2008

by Jone Johnson Lewis at About.com. Accessed July 2008

Spanish Ministry of Education, In Spanis

Accessed July 2008 * Arteaga, Almudena de (2007), ''Beatriz Galindo, The Queens' Latin teacher'', Algaba editions. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Galindo, Beatriz 1460s births 1534 deaths People from Salamanca 16th-century writers in Latin 16th-century Spanish women writers Spanish women writers 16th-century women writers Women writers (Renaissance) University of Salamanca alumni Spanish Renaissance humanists 16th-century Spanish educators 16th-century Spanish writers Spanish Latinists 16th-century Spanish women educators

Life

Legacy

See also

Notes

References