Juan Zorrilla de San Martín

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Juan Zorrilla de San Martín bigraphy, stories - Uruguayan poet

Juan Zorrilla de San Martín : biography

December 28, 1855 – November 3, 1931

Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (December 28, 1855 – November 3, 1931) was a Uruguayan epic poet – he is referred to as the "National Poet of Uruguay" -and political figure .’Juan Zorrilla de San Martín’, Wikipedia (in Spanish), :es:Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, The internationally well known sculptor José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín was his son and father of internationally known actress China Zorrilla.

As a political figure Juan Zorrilla de San Martín served as a Deputy for Montevideo from 1888 to 1891 and served as Ambassador several periods.

His grandson, Alejandro Zorrilla de San Martín, was to serve as a prominent Deputy, Minister and Senator.

One of his several granddaughters became the most famous actress of Uruguay, Concepción Zorrilla, A.K.A. China Zorrilla. She was a disciple of Margarita Xirgu and moved to Argentina in 1971 where she had a distinguished career in theater, tv and movies also in Spain and other Southamerican countries. Her big successes in movies, Besos en la frente, Esperando la carroza (Waiting for the Hearse). Elsa & Fred, for Conversations with Mother she won the Moscow Film Festival as best actress for this one. She never married and never had children.

His grandaughter Guma Zorrilla was a theater costume designer.

Well-known poems

Two of his most famous poems are Tabaré (the national poem for Uruguayans) and La Leyenda Patria (The patriot legend).

He is author of the Hymn to the Tree (Himno al Arbol) a well known Spanish poem later made a song in several Latin-American countries.

Museum

His house in Montevideo, is now an Museum. He was twice widowed, and left 13 children when he died.