Passion or Profession: National Heroine

Period: 1618–1645

According to legend, Mariana de Paredes y Flores was orphaned at age three and became a hermit in the home of a relative. She was said to have had gifts of prophecy, remote viewing, reading of hearts, and healing. It is believed that she offered herself as a victim for the city during the 1645 earthquakes in Quito. Immediately after her death, a pure white lily blossomed from her blood.