NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SPAIN
CALL NUMBER VC 2176-39

His Excellency Mr. José Salamanca
Sent by Soria on March 30, 1891

BIOGRAPHY OF
DOÑA TERESA CASTELLANOS DE MESA
FENCING INSTRUCTOR

FOUNDER IN SPAIN OF CALISTENIC EXERCISES
OR ORTHOPEDIC GYMNASTICS FOR GIRLS,
APPROVED BY THE ACADEMIES OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY IN PARIS
AND LONDON, APPOINTED TEACHER AT THE COLEGIO DE LORETO FRANCÉS
IN MADRID ON NOVEMBER 16, 1847.
MADRID:
PRINTED BY J.M. DUCAZCAL, PLAZUELA DE ISABEL II, NUM, 6.
1860.

TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ISABEL II
THE BEST OF QUEENS.
Madam:
AS a protector of advances in the arts and sciences, allow me to dedicate these four lines to you with the consolation and hope of deserving your high approval.
Madam:
To Your Royal Highness,
Teresa Castellanos y Mesa

The posthumous fame that history creates is the greatest prize that can be bequeathed to an artist; but if history, so strict and slow in its judgment, fails to recognize his merit, what glory will befall the man who sacrificed his best and most important days to the progress of any art? None: and if we add to this the indifference with which man himself applauds the talent of his fellow men, especially in Spain, where only foreign talent is appreciated; and even more so when this glory falls to the female sex, we will see that in the current era, the biography of an artist is the happy end to their sleepless nights.

It would indeed be difficult and arduous to accurately describe the main traits of a particular and privileged heart, such as that of the heroine in question; but supported by the authenticity of other nations that have had the opportunity to admire her for longer, and without attempting to censor the acts of a life full of peculiarities, I will limit myself to describing only the most public part of it, with the conciseness that is appropriate not for a complete biography, but for a short article whose sole purpose is to convey to posterity a manly trait in the weaker sex. Devoid of noisy scenes and grandiose incidents, this life is simply that of an artist of particular merit, whose rarity makes her worthy of filling a few pages in the annals of history.

DOÑA TERESA CASTELLANOS DE MESA was born in Madrid on October 15, 1817, the daughter of Don Manuel Castellanos de Mesa, fencing instructor at the Military College of Isla de León, of the Corps of Guards, appointed by King Ferdinand VII, Augustus, father of our sovereign Queen Isabel II, of the Seminary of Nobles in 1837, and of other honorary establishments in Spain, for his well-known merit in the science of arms, and of Doña Ana del Castillo, her mother. She spent her early years in beautiful Andalusia, later returning to Madrid. Her education was quite thorough; from a very young age she showed a cheerful and enterprising character; no one could understand the instinct of that warlike heart until, at the age of 18, she fully discovered her passion for weapons. She then began to study fencing under the guidance of her brother Don Cándido, also a teacher of this art, making such rapid progress that after six months of study she was competing with her classmates in the art of thrusting. In 1834, he gave a performance at his home on Calle de la Sarten, attracting the attention of all who saw him for his great skill in such an arduous exercise, and thereby earning the protection of several prominent figures, including the Duke of Alagon, captain of the Guard Corps. Shortly afterwards, she gave another performance in the spacious and beautifully decorated hall of the Fontana de Oro, where she ended up impressing the large audience that attended the event. Journalists rushed to witness the rare spectacle, never before seen in Spain, and an article appeared in the newspaper La Revista Española, which read as follows:
A beautiful assault with weapons. Last night, fans gathered at the Fontana de Oro to attend the event hosted by Doña Teresa Castellanos, eager to foster national enthusiasm and demonstrate that the fair sex is capable of combining their natural graces with martial knowledge of weapons. Who can doubt it? Despite the bad weather, the hall was filled with curious spectators of both sexes, who stood in two rows around the hall and had reason to applaud the skillful handling and ability of the gentle Amazon. The performance must not have been ungrateful, as it lasted until two in the morning, a time when, in other times, the foil competed for the laurels of beauty and sustained amorous quarrels. it is true that this usually took place in the darkness, and that at La Fontana it happened as clearly as if it were midday, with the addition of lanterns and candelabras so that not the slightest detail of the martial combat would be lost; so it was: and the heroine, who carried the flag of the performance, would not have been dissatisfied with the gallantry of the spectators, nor would they have been dissatisfied when contemplating the lively features that characterize a woman who honors the Castellanos.

Feeling at the same time driven by an irresistible desire to realize her artistic dreams, she decided to go alone to France with her father's permission, in spite of all the risks and setbacks, with the aim of perfecting her artistic education; in fact, she left Madrid on September 8, 1835, and it is not possible to recount one by one the many events that occurred during her journey, at a time when the nation was in a devastating war. She crossed Upper Aragon on horseback, venturing into the rugged terrain of Jaca, finding all the roads blocked, and risking her life among the warring factions, our brave Castilian woman continued her journey, heading for the capital of France. Once there, she devoted herself exclusively to continuing her studies with Professor Russel, undoubtedly one of the best in that capital, until, having perfected her skills, she gave a performance in which several professors took part, followed by a grand concert in one of the theaters of Paris in the year 1836, in which she displayed astonishing mastery, earning the protection of His Majesty the King of the French, Louis Philippe, and several illustrious figures. The audience was large; seats were fought over at exorbitant prices.

Not satisfied with the laurels she had earned there, she left for Bordeaux (in 1837), where she also achieved success. She was invited several times by theater contractors to take to the stage and demonstrate the particular talent that had been so highly praised by all the French newspapers. She performed particularly well in the salons known as Circo, where all the consuls representing foreign nations were present, including the Spanish consul, Don Santiago Aldama, accompanied by a large entourage. They agreed to pay our horsewoman a very generous sum, and she was extremely satisfied, as were the gentlemen in attendance, who were delighted to see her fencing with such gallantry. Shortly afterwards, she passed through Bayonne in 1838; with the same aim, she went to the theater to fence with several teachers, then returned to Bordeaux because she had given her word for another performance, remaining in this city for three years with the intention of returning to her homeland. However, the many political events that were shaking the unfortunate Spain prevented her from carrying out her plan, so she decided to return to Paris, which she did in 1840. That year, she gave a concert and, during the intermission, she went out to fence with a professor named Renodó, who was very skilled in fencing. King Louis Philippe and the Duchess of Orleans sent her several letters, which she keeps in her possession as a fond memory of such illustrious figures, along with the sum of the banknotes they gave her. In 1841, another concert took place, during which she went fencing in the interval, and Their Majesties paid her the same compliments as on previous occasions. In the same year, she established an academy and soon had many students. She devoted herself especially to teaching this art for three years, during which time she fenced with the English foilist Lord Seimurd, who had the best academy in Europe and was one of those chosen to enrich his school, receiving a pension of 800 reales a month. For a year, she attended the fencing lessons five days a week, where the best teachers and the imponderable Beltrán, also on Milord's payroll, gathered. Shortly afterwards, she decided to take a trip to visit some cities in France. She spent the first part of her trip in Dieppe, Rouen, and Le Havre in 1844, where she fenced with the teachers who presented themselves, being welcomed by all the civil and military authorities and consuls, deserving in every respect the most favorable reception from admirers of her merit.

In 1845, she returned to Paris and in 1846 she returned to her beloved homeland, stopping in Toulouse, France, for four months and staying for a long time in Montpellier. Moving on to Barcelona, she finally set foot in the Spanish capital, where on June 1, 1847, at eight o'clock in the evening in the hall of the Fonda Peninsular, a fencing demonstration was held, in which all the instructors of the school came out to show their skills. first his brother, who demonstrated his mastery, followed by his sister with another instructor. During the intermissions, the brilliant music of the Queen Regent was played, and the performance concluded with the two siblings fencing as a tribute to their first instructor. The front seats were occupied by nobility, ambassadors, ministers, and other persons of high rank. All those in attendance were completely satisfied with the performance, and it was met with widespread enthusiasm and applause. The spacious hall was well lit.

On July 11, 1849, he had the honor of fencing with his brother, a professor at the Artillery College of Segovia, in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, in front of the Queen.

On the 15th of the same month and year, she fenced at the theater in that city, which was also attended by Her Majesty the Queen and the nobility, who presented Her Majesty with a gift of 25 ounces of gold.

It would take too long to detail how much the public papers wrote in honor of this Amazon who left her homeland in 1835 with only the ardent desire to return one day with the sole idea of fostering in it such a noble and honorable enthusiasm, and to be useful to it, if not on the battlefield, due to her sex, at least by giving her own rules for her defense on it. In the short time she has been in Spain, she has been able to present some disciples as proof that she has mastered the science that has cost her so many sacrifices, imposing the greatest privations on herself.

The enterprising and lively genius of the heroine in question is not limited to instilling the rules for protecting oneself from deadly steel, whether on the battlefield or in specific cases, but, thirsty to provide some comfort to suffering humanity, she sacrificed her delicate imagination to the study of hygiene, in order to be able to apply calisthenic or gymnastic exercises to the cure of many diseases. She undertook the difficult study of this subject alongside Professor Clías, and despite the countless opponents of this system, many years of experience have shown her its good results, to the point that it has been approved by the Academies of Medicine and Surgery in Paris, London, and other capitals where the science of healing is at its highest level. Let us look around and we will find the woman who a moment ago was fencing with unparalleled gallantry, now reclining on a table, leafing through the pages of some books and manuscripts, intoxicated by her reading. And do we believe that this kind of enrapture is produced by some novel or other of the many that circulate today? No: she has reaped too many laurels from fencing, and on the other hand, her unambitious heart has not driven her further; her privations are motivated by the in-depth study of calisthenics or gymnastics, for since she earned the title of Professor in these subjects, first in her class, and through which this method has become known in Spain, her only goal has been to analyze the most recondite aspects of this science and wipe away the tears of those who submitted to her system, particularly prepubescent young people whom nature has destined only to suffer, especially at this stage of their lives and to whom this system is best suited. I could cite many surprising cases, but for the sake of brevity, I will limit myself to those that occurred not in France, but in Spain.

On November 10, 1847, our gymnast Castellanos was entrusted with the physical training of the French Loreto Schoolgirls of the Court, among whom there was a 14-year-old girl who suffered from stomach pain, had a curved spine, a poorly formed chest cavity, arms turned outward, in short, her entire physique was in complete disorder. Within a few weeks of treating this young lady, she managed to transform her condition; her chest took on its proper shape, the stomach pain disappeared, and her muscular and skeletal systems also returned to their natural state. At the same school, there was another 12-year-old girl who suffered from foul-smelling breath, the result of a stomach problem, which disappeared when treated with this method. She now enjoys perfect health, and we cannot believe that these wonderful results were achieved by strong means; on the contrary, they were achieved by the gentlest and simplest means imaginable.

The serious yet cheerful appearance of the heroine in question reveals at first glance a warrior spirit; her features have the delicate regularity of a young lady raised with great care and among the soft cushions of a platform; making it seem impossible, at first glance, that a young lady of this nature could have achieved the laudable goal she set for herself of one day being able to teach the science to which she has devoted herself with the perfection and rules of a professor.

This exercise has always been exclusively dedicated to the male sex; but now that the Spanish diadem is fastened to delicate temples, women should not be discouraged from adding this martial knowledge to their natural graces; for although it is not necessary for the defense of their social privileges, it is undoubtedly necessary for the development of greater strength, and even for useful applications in special cases. We have repulsive examples in our warrior nation of traits of singular courage in the fair sex, but almost always of Amazons who, inspired by free generosity, have risked their lives with no other shield than luck, since, ignorant of all rules of defense, they only aspired to be victims of their enthusiasm.

DECIMAS DEDICATED TO SAID AMAZON.
Let my absorbed mind
be inspired by the genius of Mars,
And let me admire you ecstatically
With vehement enthusiasm.
Your courageous spirit
What noble audacity it proclaims,
Inspires jealousy in Bellona,
That goddess of war;
For you are, here on earth,
A strong and invincible Amazon.
When with clean steel
You threaten your opponent's chest,
More than a woman, you resemble
The bold shadow of a warrior.
Do not be surprised, then, that with sincere
I am amazed with ardent faith,
For I swear by my name,
That you have a heart
With the pride of a lion
And the dignity of a man.

We will conclude this biography by mentioning the family to which this artist belonged, which is one of the most illustrious noble families of Toledo, called Castellanos y Mesa. Its palace, due to its artistic merit, is depicted in various printed works. The first foundation is in the parish of San Miguel, and all her ancestors are buried in the main vault; her grandfather and father were natives of Toledo, and her mother, a native of Orihuela, also from an illustrious family, was Doña Ana del Castillo.

It would take too long to give more details about this family, so we will limit ourselves to the brief overview provided above.