Playwright and actor
Novelist
Writer and poet
Volleyball player
Italian-Peruvian naturalist and geographer
Singer and percussionist
Last Inca emperor
Politician, former prime Minister
Journalist and TV host
Poet
Inca warrior
Actor and comedian
Biophysicist
Poet
Doctor and researcher
Businessman, Interbank group
Journalist and writer
Poet and writer
Singer and songwriter
Writer
Film director, Berlin Golden Bear winner
Football player
Writer and journalist
Doctor and scientist
Photograph
Chess player
Industrialist
Former general
Specialist in public health
Actress and singer
Afro-Peruvian music singer
Mathematician and engineer
Indigenous chronicler
Neurologist and anthropologist
Painter
Football player
National hero, military leader
Intellectual and reformer
Chef and entrepreneur
Fashion designer
Singer-songwriter
TV presenter
Marathon runner
Indigenous Peruvian chronicler
Theologian
Former national team captain
Economist and former health minister
Inca princess
Writer and television host
Folk musician
Poet and guerrilla
Former UN secretary-general
Chef, known for fusion cuisine
Football player
Peruvian aviation pioneer
Poet and artist
Marxist philosopher and writer
Industrialist and businessman
Novelist and ethnologist
Painter and muralist
Opera tenor
Fashion designer
Cardinal of Lima
Peruvian tennis player
Football coach
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Military hero
War of the Pacific hero
The youngest mother in history
Politician
Creole music singer
Tennis player
Musician
Writer and politician
Politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party
Founder of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Archaeologist and anthropologist
Military leader and politician
Television host
Actress and singer
Contemporary sculptor
Women’s rights activist
Beauty queen
Astrophysicist
Heroine of independence
Mathematician and archaeologist
Historian and anthropologist
Military figure and historical figure
Fashion photographer
Writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Politician
Revolutionary leader
Environmental activist
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Musician from Gaia band
War hero
Military leader and politician
Chef, known for Nikkei cuisine
Volleyball coach and former player
Environmental activist
Television personality
Writer
Football player
Epidemiologist and former health Minister
Inventor and aerospace pioneer
Soldier and inventor
Rock singer
Chef and co-owner of Central restaurant
Painter
Football player
TV presenter and actress
Actor
Writer and historian
Journalist and lawyer
Archaeologist, founder of Caral site
Monk and Saint
Saint, patron of Latin America
Physicist and engineer
World champion surfer
Actress
Oncologist
Singer, Latin Grammy winner
Former mayor of Lima
Singer
Actress
Former football player
Painter
Former football player
Painter
Inca leader
Archbishop, saint
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Revolutionary indigenous leader
Diplomat and intellectual
Sculptor and painter
Political leader, founder of APRA
Lawyer and Former prime minister
Chef of Central restaurant
Former head of secret services
Popular singer
Fashion designer
Exotic music singer
Saint Rose of Lima, born Isabel Flores de Oliva on April 20, 1586, in Lima, Peru, was the first person born in the Americas to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Known for her deep piety, acts of charity, and devotion to the suffering of Christ, she is a key figure in Latin American Catholicism. Saint Rose of Lima became the patron saint of Peru, the Americas, and the Philippines, honored for her commitment to helping the poor and leading a life of sacrifice.
Isabel Flores de Oliva, nicknamed "Rose" for her beauty, was born into a modest but deeply religious family. From a young age, she exhibited signs of religious devotion and aspired to live a life of prayer and penance. She spent many hours in prayer, often in the garden of her home, where she built a small hermitage to retreat from the world. At the age of 20, she took the name Rose and vowed chastity, refusing marriage despite pressure from her family.
Saint Rose of Lima is known for leading a life of extreme mortification and self-denial, inflicting suffering upon herself to unite with the passion of Christ. She wore a crown of thorns under her garments to imitate Christ and slept very little, spending most nights in prayer. Her austere life, although controversial at the time, was seen as a form of holiness by those around her. She sought to distance herself from material comforts and dedicate herself entirely to prayer and charity.
In addition to her personal devotion, Saint Rose of Lima was distinguished by her commitment to the poor and sick. She used her family’s garden to grow plants and prepare herbal remedies, which she distributed freely to those in need. Despite her own poverty, she shared everything she had and spent much of her time caring for the sick and marginalized in Lima. Her selflessness and dedication to helping the less fortunate made her a respected figure in her community.
Saint Rose of Lima was also associated with mystical experiences, having visions of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and angels. She believed she had been chosen to share in Christ's sufferings, which reinforced her practice of physical mortification. Her visions and profound spiritual experiences led her to be perceived as a mystic, which further contributed to her reputation for holiness.
Rose of Lima died on August 24, 1617, at the age of 31, after a life of religious dedication. Her death caused great mourning in Lima, where she was already venerated as a saint. In 1671, she was canonized by Pope Clement X, becoming the first saint of the Americas. Her canonization marked a significant milestone in the religious history of Latin America, and today she is honored as the patron saint of Peru and the Philippines, as well as gardeners and florists.
Saint Rose of Lima remains a model of faith and devotion for millions of Catholics across Latin America. Her feast day, celebrated on August 23, is a major religious occasion in Peru, where annual processions and celebrations are held in her honor. As the first saint of the continent, she symbolizes the depth of Catholic faith in Latin America and its role in shaping the region’s religious identity.
The legacy of Saint Rose of Lima lies in her commitment to living a life of holiness through prayer, penance, and service to others. Though her life was marked by extreme acts of mortification and renunciation, she is also admired for her love of the poor and her desire to help those who suffered. Today, she remains a symbol of selflessness and devotion to Christian faith, inspiring those who seek to lead a life of service and deep spirituality.