Teresa of Avila is also well known because of her writings. Her wonderful, sometimes mystic, other times quite down-to-earth prose has won her an outstanding place within Spanish literature. Not to be forgotten what it means for a woman in 16th century Europe to be aknowledged as a writer.
She has a very interesting biography. It is commonly agreed that her family was of Jewish origin, which converted to Catholicism to avoid expulsion from Spain.