Mariano Melgar

1790 – 1815

“The martyr nightingale. The soul of Arequipa turned into verse and blood. He fused the Andean lament with poetry to give birth to the yaraví, sealing his love for freedom by unhesitatingly giving his young life at the altar of independence.”

Poet from Arequipa, considered a precursor of Romanticism in the Americas and one of the most important figures in Peruvian literature. He popularized the yaraví, fusing Andean sensibility with classical poetry and strengthening patriotic sentiment during Peru's struggle for independence.

He actively participated in the patriot forces of Mateo Pumacahua and was executed by firing squad after the Battle of Umachiri at the age of 24, becoming a symbol of patriotism and revolutionary youth.

References

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (s.f.). Mariano Melgar. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mariano-Melgar