La Palma Honors Legacy of Poet and Women’s Rights Pioneer Leocricia Pestana Fierro

Cultural institutions in the Canary Islands are making it a priority to highlight women who have been overlooked by history. This evening at 8:00 p.m., the Real Sociedad Cosmológica in Santa Cruz de La Palma will host a special event to mark the centenary of the death of Leocricia Pestana Fierro. Her work is essential to understanding the development of progressive thought in the islands during the turn of the 20th century.

The tribute aims to honor Pestana Fierro not only as a talented lyric poet but also as a pioneer for women’s rights. She was a major figure in the island’s intellectual scene until her death in 1926 at age 73. After first sharing her work at her home, Quinta Verde, in 1874, she became known for challenging the social norms of her time and actively advocating for gender equality and female independence.

The event will include remarks from Miriam Perestelo, the Island Council’s Minister of Culture and Historical Heritage. Poets Maiki Martín, Belén Lorenzo, and Elba Pedrosa will also participate, with Pedrosa organizing a recital to bring the writer’s legacy to a modern audience. Through this initiative, the Real Sociedad Cosmológica continues its mission to preserve La Palma’s cultural heritage by bringing greater recognition to an intellectual whose influence deserves to be more widely known today.