LEONOR RIVERA All About Her

“A mi inolvidable y amadisimo amante; le dedica este retrato su apasionada.
Taimis”
“To my unforgettable and dearest lover I dedicate this picture. Your devoted Taimis.” Taimis is
the codename that Rivera used to refer to herself in her letters to Rizal.
This immediately posits at least three things. First, Rivera and Rizal were cousins. Second, they
had a love affair. Third, they kept their love affair secret (They used secret codes and codenames
for each other in their letters).
In that period in the Philippines, you had to be well-connected to the government and the
Catholic Church to become as wealthy as the Riveras and the Rizals—a crucial issue that later
played a role in ending the engagement of the two flames.
Rivera was attractive, had soft, wavy hair, engaging dimples, and a captivating singing voice.
She was intelligent and knew how to play the piano. She was reserved and soft-spoken, which,
according to Rizal are ideal characteristics of a woman. Such was Rizal’s idealization of Leonor
that he immortalized her as Maria Clara in his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
Leonor Rivera was born on 11 April 1867 in Camiling, Tarlac. She was known for being
Jose Rizal’s faithful girlfriend for eleven years. It is said that she was Rizal’s inspiration
for the character of Maria Clara in his novel Noli Me Tangere.
Leonor Rivera and Rizal first met in Manila when Rivera was only 14 years old. When Rizal left
for Europe on May 3, 1882, Rivera was 15 years of age. Their ensuing correspondence began when
Rizal left a poem for Rivera saying farewell, and their letters to each other slowly became romantic in
nature. The correspondence between Rivera and Rizal kept Rizal focused on his studies in Europe.
They employed codes in their letters because Rivera's mother did not favour Rizal as a suitor for her
daughter. A letter from Mariano Catigbac dated June 27, 1884 referred to Rivera as Rizal's
“betrothed”. Catigbac described Rivera as having been greatly affected by Rizal's departure,
frequently sick because of insomnia.
When Rizal returned to the Philippines on August 5, 1887, Rivera was no longer living
in Intramuros because she and her family had moved back to Dagupan, Pangasinan. Rizal wanted
to meet Rivera and vice versa, but both were prohibited by their respective fathers; Francisco
Mercado barred his son from meeting her in order to avoid putting the Rivera family in danger, as
Rizal had by then been labeled a filibustero or subversive by the Spanish colonial
government[3] because of his novel, Noli Me Tangere. Rizal wanted to marry Rivera while he was still
in the Philippines because of her uncomplaining fidelity, so they asked permission from his father
one more time before his second departure. The meeting never happened.
In 1888, Rizal stopped receiving letters from Rivera for a year, even as he kept sending letters to
her. The reason for Rivera's silence was the connivance between Rivera's mother and an
Englishman named Henry Charles Kipping, a railway engineer who fell in love with Rivera and was
favoured by Rivera's mother.[2][3]
SUMMARIZED:
Leonor Rivera and Rizal first met in Manila when Rivera was only 14 years old. When Rizal left
for Europe, Their ensuing correspondence began and their letters to each other slowly became
romantic in nature. They employed codes in their letters because Rivera's mother did not favour
Rizal as a suitor for her daughter..
When Rizal returned to the Philippines on August 5, 1887, Rivera was no longer living
in Intramuros because she and her family had moved back to Dagupan, Pangasinan.
Rizal wanted to meet Rivera, but both were prohibited Rizal wanted to marry Rivera while he was
still in the Philippines because of her uncomplaining fidelity, so they asked permission from his father
one more time before his second departure. The meeting never happened.
In 1888, Rizal stopped receiving letters from Rivera for a year, even as he kept sending letters to
her. The reason for Rivera's silence was the connivance between Rivera's mother and an
Englishman who fell in love with Rivera and was favoured by Rivera's mother. [2][3]
Leonor Rivera was born on 11 April 1867 in Camiling, Tarlac. She was known for being
Jose Rizal’s faithful girlfriend for eleven years. It is said that she was Rizal’s inspiration
for the character of Maria Clara in his novel Noli Me Tangere.

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“A mi inolvidable y amadisimo amante; le dedica este retrato su apasionada.

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