This clerical woman is from the Crown of Aragon and we can relate her with Sister Vicenta María del Espíritu Santo (1646-1705), prioress of the feminine Dominican convent of Bethlehem, outside the limits of Valencia. She is also the author of several writings. She follows the genealogy of 16th century authors, like the humanists Isabel de Jossà, Juliana Morell and Àngela Almenar i de Montfort.
Ressenya
Sister Laura de San José, religious name of Laura Barberà, professed in the Dominican convent of Our Lady of Bethlehem. She was a poetess. Among the different authors known in the Valencian territory during the modern period, this nun wrote one of the few works written in Catalan. It is exceptional, indeed, because it is poetry written in Catalan and in a conventual environment, where texts created by women were mainly written in Spanish.
Justificacions
She is the author of one of the few works written in Catalan in the Valencian territory during the modern period.
It is poetry written inside the conventual world, where the majority of the feminine texts are written in Spanish.
Her work has been preserved because Sister Vicenta María del Espíritu Santo included it in the Libro de fundación (Foundation Book) of the convent.
Biografia
Laura Barberà i Rosas, who was from Valencia, was the daughter of José Barberà and Laura Rosas. She professed in the Dominican convent of Bethlehem, in Valencia, on the 26th of August 1668 and took the name of Laura de San José. She wrote poetry, and her subsequent Relación de la entrada de la Ciutat en este convento (Relation of the Entrance of the City in this Convent), included in the Libro de fundación is preserved. According to the relation written by Sister Vicenta María del Espíritu Santo, who professed in the convent of Bethlehem too, in the Libro de fundación, we read: "I want to allude to the verses written in Valencian language, by Reverend Mother Sister Laura de San José, subprioress of this convent of Our Lady of Bethlehem at the time. (…)".
Obres
Poems. Relación de la entrada de la Ciutat en este convento, included in the Libro de fundación of the convent of Bethlehem of Valencia is preserved.
Bibliografia
Callado Estela, Emilio (2015).El paraíso que no fue. El convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén de Valencia, València: Universitat de València.
Herrero Herrero, María Ángeles (2009). Lletraferides modernes. Catàleg de les escriptores valencianes dels segles XVI-XVIII, Universitat d'Alacant: Centre d'Estudis sobre la Dona.
The poem structures (rhyme scheme, rhythm, stanza...) and the issue of loyalty to language can be worked with her text in the subjects of Valencian language and literature and Catalan language and literature.
It can also be used for the block of language knowledge, standardisation, diachrony. And in the block of literary education of 3rd of ESO.
It can also be used for studying the inclusion of texts written by women in other texts, and how women keep the writings of other women and recognise their authorship, as it happens with Aldonça de Montsoriu and the abbess Isabel de Villena.
