Antonieta Rivas, the Mexican writer who died in Notre Dame

O n February 11, 1931, Antonieta Rivas Mercado , a Mexican intellectual, writer, feminist activist , and arts patron , decided to commit suicide in Notre Dame .

Antonieta Rivas

was born in Mexico City on April 28, 1900. She was the daughter of architect Antonio Rivas Mercado , the man who designed the Angel of the Independence.

According to the Mexican Encyclopedia of Literature , she committed suicide in Notre Dame because of her turbulent life, according to sources, she used a firearm owned by José Vasconcelos, one of the most prominent Mexican writers, philosophers, and politicians.

Antonieta Rivas

met Vasconcelos in 1929, during his presidential campaign . She was quite famous back then but at some point, her work was overshadowed by her status as a patron of Mexican artists . Antonieta Rivas was also known for having funded Mexico's Symphony Orchestra , along with Carlos Chávez .

Antonieta Rivas

was allegedly tormented by the fight for the custody of her son, the suicide of her cousin María Remedios Rivas , and her affair with Vasconcelos , who was married. She traveled to France with Vasconcelos and decided to commit suicide at the altar of the Notre Dame cathedral.

Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

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