Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno (August 23, 1828 – March 31, 1885) was the inaugural

First Lady of Costa Rica First Lady or First Gentleman of Costa Rica (Spanish: ''Primera dama o Primer caballero de Costa Rica'') is the title of the wife or husband of the president of Costa Rica. Traditionally, the president's wife was colloquially known as ''la presi ...

and wife of President

José María Castro Madriz José María Castro Madriz (1 September 1818 – 4 April 1892) was a Costa Rican lawyer, academic, diplomat, and politician. He served twice as President of Costa Rica, from 1847 to 1849, and from 1866 to 1868. On both occasions he was prevente ...

. She was born in

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton. San ...

on August 23, 1828 to her parents former Head of State Manuel Fernández Chacón and Dolores Oreamuno Muñoz de la Trinidad, and was sister of President

Próspero Fernández Oreamuno Juan Primitivo Próspero Fernández Oreamuno (July 18, 1834 – March 12, 1885) was President of Costa Rica from 1882 to 1885. Fernández studied philosophy at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala before embarking on a military career ...

. She married

on June 29, 1843, who later became Head of State (1847–1848) and President of the Republic of Costa Rica (1848–1849 and 1866–1868). She still holds the title as the youngest First Lady or spouse of a Costa Rican head of state, as she was only 18 when her husband first gained power. She is known as the original designer of the

flag of Costa Rica The national flag of Costa Rica is based on a design created in 1848 and consists of two blue stripes, two white stripes, and a central red stripe which is twice as wide as each of the other four. The civil flag omits the coat of arms seen on th ...

, which she designed based on the

flag of France The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Irelan ...

although with the following description: ''“France received civilization from the south with perfectly vertical rays, and so the stripes in their flag reflect this. In Costa Rica, this does not happen and thus the stripes are horizontal, as the rays get to us.”'' The flag designed by Fernández was first sewn on November 12, 1848. Fernández died in San José, Costa Rica on March 31, 1885.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Pacifica 1828 births 1885 deaths First Ladies and Gentlemen of Costa Rica Flag designers People from San José, Costa Rica 19th-century Costa Rican people