María Pascuala Caro Sureda (7 July 1768 – 12 December 1827), was the second woman

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

in Spain. She was born to the marqués de La Romana, Pere Caro Fontes, and Margalida Sureda de Togores. She was given a high education and taught

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, which was not usual for women, and her mother arranged for all her children to be given a formal education. She was allowed to study at the

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ca-valencia, Universitat de València ; also known as UV) is a public research university located in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Vale ...

, which was highly unusual for a woman, and was even allowed to graduate: she became a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Valencia in 1779, as the second of her sex in Spain, and published her work in

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and

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, ''Ensayo de Historia, Física y Matemáticas'', in 1781. She is described as simple, humble and beautiful. In 1789, she entered the Santa Catalina de Siena Dominican convent in

Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situate ...

, where she became prioress. During her life in the convent, she became known for her religious mystic poems.

References

*
Diccionari Biogràfic de Dones: Maria Pascuala Caro Sureda
' * Canut, M.L., Llabrés, J. Manresa, M.A., Masferrer, M., Pascual, A., Torres, M., Tur, C., Tur, F. (1999). Dones i Èpoques. Aproximació històrica al món de la dona a les Illes Balear. Palma de Mallorca: La Foradada. * Gran Enciclopedia de Mallorca. Vol.3. (Mallorca). Promomallorca Edicions. 1768 births 1827 deaths 18th-century Spanish writers 19th-century Spanish writers 19th-century Spanish nuns 18th-century Spanish women writers 19th-century Spanish women writers People from Palma de Mallorca University of Valencia alumni 18th-century Spanish nuns {{Spain-writer-stub

See also

References