Filomena Gómez de Cova
Filomena Gómez de Cova (1800–1893) was a Dominican militant who participated in the Dominican War of Independence. Gómez, born into a long-established Dominican family, was a woman with broader horizons than other women of her time. Gómez brought Gardenia jasminoides[1] ('jazmín de la India'; 'jazmín del Cabo')[a] plants from Venezuela, whose white flower served as a Duartian symbol in the hair of Dominican women and in the buttonhole on the chest of the heroes in the days of the Trinitarios. "Filorios" was the derogatory nickname given to the Trinitarios, which is why the flower became known as filoria in the Dominican Republic.[2]
Family
[edit]Filomena Gómez Grateró was born in 1800, during the difficult years of the French regime of the Dominican Republic, daughter of Don Joaquín Gómez Márquez and Dona Juana Carlota Grateró.[1]
Gómez married twice, first to Francisco Marcano, on April 29, 1820, who died the following year in a shipwreck off the coast of Haiti when he was returning from Cuba, where he had gone to receive his law degree. The second marriage was with Lucas de la Cova, on March 23, 1829, by proxy, since he was in Saint Thomas. He waited there for his wife to join him, before continuing his trip to Europe. They then settled in Venezuela from where they traveled around the world. Don Lucas died on August 7, 1854.[1][3]
Death and legacy
[edit]Gómez is credited with bringing the gardenia flower, called filoria, with her from Caracas. The filoria served as a distinctive symbol for the young supporters of the independence cause, who proudly displayed it in their hair, in a buttonhole or at the shoulder or neckline of their dresses. Likewise, the heroes wore this white flower on their hearts during the days of the Trinitaria.[4]
A street in Santo Domingo, Filomena Gómez de Cova Street, was named in her honor.[1]
Gómez died in the city of Santo Domingo on March 9, 1893. She was 93 years old.[1]
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Jazmín de Malabar is a common name sometimes given to Gardenia jasminoides as well as to the wild jasmine, Jasminum malabaricum, possibly from confusion with the gardenia's other Spanish vernacular names jazmín de la India and jazmín del Cabo.[5] The Duartian flower is the gardenia, not the wild jasmine.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Peña, Ángela (March 5, 2005). "Filomena Gómez de Cova". Hoy Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved October 22, 2024.
... devoto duartista Antonio Thomén colocó la placa que la identifica en el tupido jardín de la blanca flor que se cultiva en el Instituto Duartiano: «Filoria. Jazmín de Malabar: Gardenia Jasminoides». La institución exhibe varias fotos de la flor explicando su vinculación con la Independencia.
[... Duarte devotee Antonio Thomén placed the plaque that identifies the white flower that is grown in the dense garden of the Duarte Institute: 'Filoria. Malabar Jasmine: Gardenia jasminoides.' The institution exhibits several photos of the flower explaining its link with Independence.] - ^ Filomena Gómez de Cova también es de nuestras #MujeresDeFebrero. Hoy, una de las calles de Santo Domingo lleva su nombre y se recuerda por haber. Ministerio de la Mujer RD. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via Facebook.
- ^ unibeenlinea (February 23, 2021). Filomena Gómez de Cova - NUESTRAS HEROÍNAS - Mes de la Patria UNIBE. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ortega Henríquez, Aleida Altagracia (March 22, 2022). "Las mujeres febreristas – Mujeres de la independencia dominicana". Mi País (in Spanish). Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Colmeiro, Miguel (1871). Diccionario de los diversos nombres vulgares de muchas plantas usuales ó notables del antiguo y nuevo mundo (in Spanish). Madrid: Gabriel Alhambra. p. 105. Complemento del Curso de botánica por el doctor don Miguel Colmeiro.
Further reading
[edit]- "Las mujeres también lucharon por la Independencia Nacional" [Women also fought for National Independence]. El Día (in Spanish). March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2024.