“Triumphant I want to see who kills me and I kill who wants to see me triumphant.” These words etched on Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz’s grave are as timeless as her poetry. They stand as a testament to a life lived fiercely. A life dedicated to knowledge. A life spent within these very walls.
This is the University of the Cloister of Sor Juana. It stands on the site of the former Convent of Saint Jerome. Here Sor Juana spent over twenty-five years of her life. She was born in Nepantla a town in the State of Mexico. However she lived most of her life in Mexico City. Sor Juana was a remarkable woman. She was a nun a poet a musician a painter a theologian a cook. A true Renaissance woman centuries ahead of her time.
In the 17th century women had limited choices. Marriage or the convent. Sor Juana chose the convent. Not for religious devotion but for the freedom to study. At the age of 21 she entered the Convent of Saint Paula of Saint Jerome. This convent was one of the largest in the city. It offered her some privileges. Her cell was a two-story apartment. She had a library of at least four thousand books a birdcage and an entrance hall for guests. This was unusual for a nun. She also possessed astronomical instruments reflecting her scientific interests. She even had servants to help with the heavier kitchen tasks.
Sor Juana’s culinary skills were exceptional. Monica Lavin’s book “Sor Juana in the Kitchen” gathers recipes and anecdotes of her time in the convent kitchen. It explores the idea that Sor Juana saw daily life through a scientific lens. She marvelled at the transformations of sugar the reactions of eggs cooked in butter or oil. She observed the alchemy of cooking. The kitchen was a space for reflection and creativity.
Many myths surround Sor Juana. Some claim she was sent to the kitchen as punishment. Researcher Lourdes Aguilar Salas refutes this. She emphasizes that cooking was one of Sor Juana’s many passions. Another myth suggests she loved chocolate so much that she changed convents to indulge in it. Aguilar Salas considers this unlikely. She explains that Sor Juana left the Discalced Carmelites due to their strict rules. The convent of Saint Jerome was chosen because it was considered a university a place where women could achieve great things.
Sor Juana’s life wasn’t without its conflicts. She had a famous confrontation with the Bishop of Puebla. He accused her of arrogance and vanity. She responded with “Reply to Sor Filotea” a powerful defense of her intellectual pursuits. She challenged societal norms and defended women’s right to education.
In her final years Sor Juana dedicated herself to spiritual retirement. She died in 1695 probably from typhus. Even in her final years she continued to write. Her legacy as a poet scholar and feminist continues to inspire. Her remains were discovered in 1978. Today they rest here in the University of the Cloister of Sor Juana a fitting tribute to this extraordinary woman. Her life a reminder that a sharp mind knows no gender no confinement. The walls of this cloister bear witness to a legacy that transcends time.