Carmen de Icaza, 8th Baroness of Claret

María Carmen de Icaza y de León, 8th Baroness of Claret (17 May 1899 – 16 March 1979) was a Spanish journalist and novelist from 1935–60.[1] She enjoyed success with her 1936 novel, Cristina Guzmán, which was subsequently adapted for the stage, television and cinema. By 1945, she was a best-selling writer in Spain. Her father was Mexican writer and diplomat Francisco A. de Icaza.[1][2][3]

The Most Illustrious

The Baroness of Claret
BornMaría Carmen de Icaza y de León
(1899-05-17)17 May 1899
Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
Died16 March 1979(1979-03-16) (aged 79)
Madrid, Spain
Pen nameValeria de León,
Carmen de Icaza
Occupationjournalist, writer
LanguageSpanish
NationalitySpanish
Period1935-1960
Notable worksCristina Guzmán
SpousePedro Montojo Sureda (1930-1978; his death); 1 child
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is de Icaza and the second or maternal family name is de León.

Biography

María Carmen de Icaza y de León was born on 17 May 1899 in Madrid, the second daughter of Francisco Asís de Icaza y Beña, a Mexican ambassador and poet, and his wife, Beatriz de León y Loynaz, born in La Habana, daughter of Spanish aristocrats. She had four sisters: Beatriz, Ana María, María Luz and María Sonsoles (Marquesa de Llanzol), and one brother, Francisco de Asís.[4]

One 1925, her father died, and she began working at El Sol newspaper. In 1930, she married Lt. Col. Pedro Montojo Sureda, and in 1932 they had her only daughter Paloma Montojo y de Icaza, mother of Íñigo Méndez de Vigo.

She started to writing novels in 1935 as Valeria de León, later she used her real name Carmen de Icaza. On 14 December 1951, she obtained her noble title of 8th Baroness of Claret, by her collaboration with charity.[5]

Her husband died on 17 March in 1978, and she died on 16 March 1979 in her native Madrid.

Bibliography

As Valeria de León
  • La boda del Duque Kurt (1935) (reedited as Talía in 1951)

As Carmen de Icaza
  • Cristina Guzmán (1936)
  • ¡Quién sabe...! (1939)
  • Soñar la vida (1941)
  • Vestida de tul (1942)
  • El tiempo vuelve (1945)
  • La fuente enterrada (1947)
  • Yo, la Reina (1950)
  • Las horas contadas (1953)
  • La casa de enfrente (1960)

References
  1. Maureen Ihrie & Salvador Oropesa. World Literature in Spanish: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia, pp. 507-08, ABC-CLIO, 20 October 2011.
  2. "Soñar la vida". La narrativa de Carmen de Icaza (1936-1960)
  3. The romance novel and popular culture during the early Franco regime in Spain: towards the construction of other discourses of femininity by Sonia Núñez Puente
  4. Carmen de Icaza en BiblioRomance.
  5. (in Spanish) "CLARET, Barón de : Concedido el 20 de febrero de 1654 a don Francisco de Areny y Torralla, Señor de Claret y otros lugares en Cataluña. Rehabilitación a doña Carmen de Icaza y de León (14 de diciembre de 1951)."
    Revista Hidalguía, número 134. Año 1976. Ediciones Hidalguia (page number 128).
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