Soror Maria do Ceu

Maria do Ceo (1658–1753), was a Portuguese poet, writer, and playwright. She went by the pseudonyms of Marina Clemencia, Sister Maria do Cêu, Sor Maria do Ceo del Cielo and Maria del Cielo. (11 September 1658 – 28 May 1753). Born in Lisbon, Portugal. Comparatively Juana was a self-taught scholar and poet of the Baroque school. Her reasoning for becoming a nun was so she could continued her studies more freely.

Personal life

Maria was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the daughter of nobility to António de Eça de Castro and Catarina de Távora. At the age of eighteen, Maria entered the Franciscan convent of Nossa Senhora de Piedade de Esperança in Lisbon, in June 1676. In 1681, Maria do Ceo wrote the first novel allegorical Escarmentos de flores, while the original English version, officially the next track this type of A Preciosa was established in 1690. Later works were printed in Lisbon under the religious name ( Maria do Ceo) or pseudonym (Marina Clemencia) author. In the 1740s, two volumes of her works were published in Madrid, where she had become quite popular. Maria do Ceo started signing as Sor Maria del Cielo due to her key personalities associated with the royal court, including Teresa de Moncada u Beanavides, Duchess of Medinaceli and her daughter.