UNAM confirms handwritten annotations by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in 1622 book

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has confirmed that a book printed in 1622 contains handwritten annotations by the renowned colonial poet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. The discovery was made by Felícitas González Barranco, head of the Reserved Fund at the National Library of Mexico (BNM), who noticed the poet's name written in manuscript form during routine technical processes.

The volume, a Latin work by fray Juan de Jesús María printed in Cologne, Germany, contains three specific handwritten notes on the front cover and inside covers. A handwriting expert, María Guadalupe González Arrieta, validated the authorship by comparing the strokes with undisputed original documents, including the poet's testament and her application to enter the Convent of San Jerónimo.

One annotation, dated 1683, provides a material testimony to the poet's personal library and reading habits during her convent life. The book is currently part of the exhibition “Universidad de México: 475+ años de concebir futuros” at the Colegio de San Ildefonso.

In a separate commemoration, the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana is organizing events to honor the 375th anniversary of the poet's birth. The celebrations include debates, dance, and music to reflect on her intellectual legacy and her defense of women's rights to knowledge.