Page 11 - Nada temas, dice ella

The celebration of the fifth centenary of the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila in 2015 is a wonderful occasion to evoke her legacy and bring it up to date by relat- ing it to contemporary existential and aesthetic reflections. It also offers us an opportunity to show how a woman managed to acquire personal prominence at a time when culture played a key role in Spanish history. Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada was a pioneer whose life and work are unique examples
of mysticism and action, withdrawal and creative will. Her figure, of universal scope, encompasses wide areas of human knowledge and is a model of con- tinuous learning, self-improvement and perfection.
Five centuries after Teresa’s birth in Ávila, we would like to offer audiences, particularly young audiences, an insight into the life of a woman characterised by a reforming spirit, the founder of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites and an extraordinary writer of the Spanish Golden Age. Her legacy, like that of many other men and women throughout our history, is one of determination and an unswerving faith in herself and in her intentions.
Along with Her Majesty The Queen, I have the honour to preside over the programme of cultural activities organised on this occasion, which encompass- es exhibitions dedicated to different artists and disciplines influenced over the centuries by the figure and the work of the first woman to be proclaimed Doc- tor of the Church. The exhibitions are complemented by concerts, stage spec- tacles and theatrical performances for adults and children, scientific encounters and publications, not to mention the significant restoration of characteristic features of our national heritage linked to the figure of Saint Teresa of Avila.
The Queen and I are convinced that this commemoration will not only ensure that the brave achievements of a woman ahead of her time will be remembered, but also that the oeuvre of an outstanding representative of Spanish literature and of mystical and spiritual thought of all time is disseminated among the younger generations.
king philip vi of spain
Palacio de la Zarzuela. Madrid, 4 February 2015