Pacífica Fernández

Who was Pacífica Fernández?

Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno was First Lady of Costa Rica and wife of President José María Castro Madriz. She was born in San José, Costa Rica on August 23, 1828 to her parents former Head of State Manuel Fernández Chacón and Dolores Oreamuno Muñoz de la Trinidad, and was sister of President Próspero Fernández Oreamuno.

She married José María Castro Madriz on June 29, 1843 who later became Head of State President of the Republic of Costa Rica. She still holds the title as the youngest First Lady or spouse of a Costa Rican head of state, as she was only 18 when her husband first gained power.

She is known as the original designer of the flag of Costa Rica, which she designed based on the drapeau tricolore flag of France although with the following description: “France received civilization from the south with perfectly vertical rays, and so the stripes in their flag reflect this. In Costa Rica this does not happen and thus the stripes are horizontal, as the rays get to us.”

The flag designed by Fernández was first sewn on November 12, 1848.

She died in San José, Costa Rica on March 31, 1885.