“Rebellious Nuns” || San Miguel Literary Sala

San Miguel Literary Sala presents
Rebellious Nuns

A two-day event celebrating a key episode in San Miguel history

Thursday and Friday
October 17 and 18, 2019

Register NOW for exclusive reward
rebelliousnuns.com

 October Literary Festival Reenacts Curious Event in San Miguel History

By Susan Page

In 1760, in the convent that is now Centro Cultural “El Nigromante, some of the nuns who lived there staged a most curious rebellion. The San Miguel Literary Sala is bringing you a two-day celebration of this pivotal conflict and the fascinating history of San Miguel at that time. The event will take place in Centro Cultural “El Nigromante,” (also called Bellas Artes) where the rebellion took place and will include dramatizations of the rebellion. The dates of the event are October 17 and 18, 2019.

The two-day conference will include presentations by the author of the book, Rebellious Nuns, and a second expert on this period of history as well as a talk by local celebrated historian Graciela Cruz on the history of the Canal family. Equity actor/director Kirsten Dehner is preparing four short dramatizations of the rebellion that will be presented throughout the two-day event. A choir of acting nuns will provide period music, and we will learn and sample what the nuns in the convent would have been eating.

The full two-day package, called the “Rebellious Hearts” package, includes a highly specialized “In Her Footsteps” walking tour of Centro with access to seldom seen buildings and rooms, with appearances by historic figures and in-depth stories about the period.

Register Now for Exclusive Reward

It may seem early, but registration is now open, and the first sixty people who purchase the “Rebellious Hearts” package will receive a free guided tour of the Casa del Mayorazgo de la Canal, the gorgeous historic former Canal residence on the corner of the jardin. Access to this building is strictly limited, and this is a rare opportunity to see what has been called the most significant colonial restoration in the Bajio.

For full information, and to be one of the first 60 people to register, visit rebelliousnuns.com.

The Rebellion

The oldest Canal daughter, Josefina, inherited a fortune when both of her parents died in their 40s. Josefina’s passion was to start a convent in San Miguel. She was a disciple of Padre Felipe Neri Alfaro (who also founded the church at Atotonilco), who was a strict observer of self-deprivation, all-day prayer, and self-flagellation. However, it was fashionable in the eighteenth century for wealthy families to send one of their daughters to a convent. These young women came with servants and expected to live a comfortable, easy life, sharing their sisterhood. After they arrived and learned that the expectation was self-deprivation, they found a most curious way to rebel.

Speakers: Margaret Chowning, author of Rebellious Nuns, is a popular and award-winning professor of history at University of California, Berkeley. James Cordova is professor of art history at University of Colorado, Boulder, specializing in this period. Graciela Cruz is San Miguel’s official historian.

Save the date now: Thursday and Friday, October 17 and 18. Register now to be assured of being able to purchase the full “Rebellious Hearts” package, limited to the first 60 people who register. Go to rebelliousnuns.com.