To what does La Latina owe its name?

The city of Madrid seems enormous, and yet those who have visited it and decided to do so on foot or, at most, by public transport, have realised that they can easily pass from one neighbourhood to the next by walking through streets that are bustling with activity.

One of these neighbourhoods, in the heart of Madrid, is the district of La Latina, one of the liveliest parts of the city, where young people fill the bars almost every day of the week, lose themselves with its cavas and mingle with the older residents who still live in the neighbourhood.

But where does La Latina come from? Surely if we were to ask anyone waiting in front of the theatre by the metro exit, they wouldn’t know.

La Latina was Beatriz Galindo, who used to be the teacher Isabella I of Castile. This was her pseudonym, due to her great command of Latin, which made her famous.

We don’t know much about the life of Beatriz Galindo with any degree of certainty. Historians don’t even agree on the year of her birth or who her parents were. In any case, it is estimated that she was born around 1465 and was undoubtedly ahead of her time.

She was born in Salamanca and, wishing to get an education, she entered the cloister where she would realise that the arts were her true calling. Before becoming a nun, she was called to the court of Isabella I of Castile and moved to Madrid, where she remained until her death.

Her literary work is well known, in addition to the work she did in public life, promoting religious patronage that led to the creation of a hospital and two convents.

Despite having been almost the Queen’s confidante, for such a peculiar character, little has transpired about her personality and life. What is clear is that she undoubtedly left a mark on the Madrid of her time, a mark that remains even today and needs to be told more often.

Categories: Madrid Turismo