Luisa Melgarejo de Soto : Angel of light or of the shadows

During the first decades of the 17th century, there was a proliferation of devout women in the viceroyalty of Peru. Luisa Melgarejo, a friend of Rosa de Lima, is such a fascinating figure that she became the main character of Neguijon (2005). In this article two sides of this woman are discussed: her mystical side (she was considered a "holy woman") and her enlightened side (she lived unwed with a man and was tried by the Inquisition). It is only from this double perspective that her charismatic personality can be understood.