Historical Archive: the story of Juana Manuela Gorriti and the literary evenings in Lima

The decade of the seventies of the nineteenth century that ended abruptly and dramatically with the outbreak of war with Chile, was one of intense and valuable cultural activity in Lima. During this period, the literary evenings promoted by the Argentine writer and journalist stand out. Juana Manuela Gorriti, in his house located on Urrutia street. Ricardo Palma, an unavoidable character in these meetings, defined them as “lively palenque of literary contests.” Those names speak for themselves of the literary quality that these gatherings achieved. Trade accounted for all of them. I point as an example: “Splendid was the literary evening that took place last night in the halls of Mrs. Gorriti. Suffice it to say that the most select of our national writers and poets were present… ”. (August 10, 1876).

Juana Manuela had the intention of publishing, in several volumes, the literary material gathered on those occasions “when the weapons of talent and ingenuity competed for the award.” However, only one volume came to light under the heading of “Literary Evenings of Lima” with details of the first ten gatherings that took place between 1876 and 1877. The book, with an emotional letter-presentation from Ricardo Palma and some biographical features of Mrs. Gorriti by Pastor S. Obligado, author of “Argentine Traditions” and generous friend of our country, appeared in Buenos Aires in 1892, a few months before the death of Juana Manuela, which occurred in the Argentine capital on November 7 of that year.

Literary evenings would be more than enough reason for Juana Manuela Gorriti to be remembered in the history of our literature as a kind of successful cultural promoter. But it would be unfair to forget her work as a prolific writer, journalist and educator, tasks that she carried out for many years in Lima. TradeOn November 8, 1892, when he published the telegram announcing her death, he paid her warm homage, noting that she “always remembered Peru with love that everyone who knew her here knew how to reciprocate.”

Born in Salta in 1818, Juana Manuela’s life is truly romantic. She was the daughter of General José Ignacio Gorriti, hero of the Independence, and of Mrs. Feliciana Zuviria. Political problems forced her father to emigrate to Bolivia in 1831. There, in Tarija, Juana Manuela met and married the young army officer Manuel Isidoro Belzu. The coexistence between a sensitive and cultured woman and a crude man was every day more difficult until it became unbearable. Belzu, an arrogant and courageous caudillo, came to the presidency of Bolivia in 1848 and held it until 1855. Juana Manuela did not want to share power with the beloved “Tata” Belzu and came to Lima in 1850 where she earned a living dedicating herself to teaching . According to her biographers, Juana Manuela had an intimate relationship with General José Ballivián, who would also be president of the Republic and “besieged by conjugal reproaches and slander” chose to leave Bolivia.

In 1855 Belzu handed power over to his son-in-law, General Jorge Córdova, married to one of the two daughters he had with Juana Manuela and left for Europe. At the beginning of 1865, Belzu, in transit to his country, stopped in Lima where he met Juana Manuela and both returned to La Paz. Almost immediately Belzu led a revolution and overthrew President Mariano Melgarejo. But he, with astonishing audacity, returned alone to the government palace and with an accurate shot from a revolver killed Belzu. Melgarejo, leaning out onto the balcony, announced to the cheering crowd that his rival had died and then asked: who’s in charge now? The shifting mass then shouted between disturbed and perplexed: Melgarejo !. It was March 27, 1865.

Juana Manuela Gorriti, at dusk on that tragic day, claimed her husband’s body and gave him a Christian burial. Once this was done, he only linked her to Bolivia and she returned to Lima. Here he resumed his educational and literary activities. In 1874 he published “El Álbum” and at the end of that year, together with Numa P. Llona he published “La Alborada”, both were weekly for the family with literary notes, art, education, theater and fashion. Juana Manuela’s literary works were many and interesting: novels, stories, historical notes, etc. An intelligent, observant woman, she found in many episodes that she had to live issues that later she turned into entertaining stories. In 1877 he traveled to Buenos Aires and returned to Lima, for a short time, in 1882 and 1884. His name is linked to the history of three countries: Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

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