LEGACY · PUBLIC MEMORY · 1957–2026
Serafina today.
A legacy that lives on.
Serafina died in 1957, but her place in public life endured. Her name continues to appear in books, cultural spaces, streets, heritage sites, theatre, art, universities and new research.
A SECOND LIFE IN PUBLIC MEMORY
After 1957 comes the story of how she was remembered.
This page does not pretend that Serafina's biography continued after her death. It tells another story: how people have rediscovered and honoured her through institutions, cultural works and public spaces. In History that memory is presented as an exhibition. In Research you can examine the sources, limitations and evidence behind each entry.
LIVING MEMORY · AT A GLANCE
Where is Serafina remembered today?
An index of places and works that carry Serafina's name. Each row represents an institution, classroom, academic programme, book, artwork or object. Full names are given, with abbreviations in parentheses where available; each entry leads to a fuller account below.
| Type | Name / object | Institution / location | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University | Cátedra Libre “Serafina Dávalos” | Facultad de Ciencias, Tecnologías y Artes de la Universidad Nacional de Pilar (FCTA-UNP) · Asociación Kuña Róga | 2025 |
| University | Cátedra Libre “Serafina Dávalos” · Curso de Actualización en Feminismos e Igualdad de Género | Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción (FACSO-UNA) · Centro de Documentación y Estudios (CDE) | 2026 |
| University | Cátedra Libre “Serafina Dávalos: Estudios Feministas para la Igualdad de Género” | Facultad de Humanidades, Ciencias Sociales y Cultura Guaraní de la Universidad Nacional de Itapúa (UNI) · Licenciatura en Trabajo Social · Asociación Kuña Róga | 2026 |
| University | Diplomado “Serafina Dávalos”. Estudios feministas sobre derechos humanos e igualdad de género | Universidad Columbia del Paraguay · Dirección General de Posgrado · Centro de Documentación y Estudios (CDE) | 2025 |
| University | Commemorative bust of Serafina Dávalos · faculty entrance | Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción (FDCS-UNA) | 2026 |
| Auditorium | Salón Auditorio “Dra. Serafina Dávalos” | Palacio de Justicia de Asunción · Corte Suprema de Justicia (CSJ) | 2020 |
| Classroom | Aula Magna “Serafina Dávalos” | Academia Diplomática y Consular “Carlos Antonio López” · Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MRE) | 2023 |
| Student centre | Centro Estudiantil Serafina Dávalos | Colegio Nacional de la Capital “Gral. Bernardino Caballero” (CNC) · Asunción | c. 2004 |
| Support centre | Centro de Atención a Mujeres y Niñas “Serafina Dávalos” · Asunción | Centro Paraguayo de Estudios de Población (CEPEP) | 2023 |
| Support centre | Centro de Atención a Mujeres y Niñas “Serafina Dávalos” · Ciudad del Este | Centro Paraguayo de Estudios de Población (CEPEP) | 2023 |
| Institution | Centro Penitenciario de Mujeres “Serafina Dávalos” | Ministerio de Justicia · Coronel Oviedo, Caaguazú | Currently in use |
| Book | Serafina Dávalos. Feminista | Rocco Carbone | 2019–2020 |
| Comic | Serafina Dávalos: Precursora del Feminismo | Contemporary publication | 2020 |
| Children’s book | Pionera paraguaya del feminismo | Javier Viveros | 2020 |
| Book | New publication by Rosemary Dávalos | Rosemary Dávalos | 2025 |
| Theatre | Serafina, ¿dónde estás? | Gustavo Ilutovich · regional tour | 2022–present |
| Theatre | El retrato de Serafina | Arlequín Teatro | 2024 |
| Organisation | La Serafina | Aireana · feminist cultural venue · Asunción | 2005–present |
| Collective | Colectivo Serafina Dávalos | Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción (FDCS-UNA) | 2017 |
| Beer | Serafina · American IPA | Las Kuna / Sajonia Brewing Co. | 2019 |
| Beer | Serafina 2.0 · IPA | Sajonia Brewing Co. | 2022 |
| Beer | La Serafina · Red Ale | Aireana / La Serafina | 2024 |
| Public art | Mural featuring Serafina | Encarnación | 2020 |
| Public art | Mural depicting Serafina at the Colegio de Abogados del Paraguay | Colegio de Abogados del Paraguay | 2021 |
| Public art | Turista Róga mural featuring Serafina | Turista Róga · Asunción | 2024 |
| City | Avenida Serafina Dávalos · Costanera Norte | Municipalidad de Asunción | 2019–present |
| International recognition | Portrait of Serafina Dávalos · Galería de Heroínas y Héroes de las Américas | Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) · Washington, D. C. | 2026 |
Years refer to dates or periods supported by the archive. Entries still in use are marked “today”.
OBJECTS · PERFORMANCE · PUBLIC MEMORY
Serafina's name takes visible form.
Books, theatre, tributes and heritage sites give tangible form to her memory. Each image links to its publicly available source.
AN ATLAS OF LIVING MEMORY
One life, five enduring legacies.
Before exploring each story, this map shows the breadth of Serafina's continued public presence: in the city, in classrooms, in new publications, in living culture and in the house that still raises questions about preservation and remembrance.
MAP OF PUBLIC MEMORY · 1988–2026
Another life story, told through names, places and new meanings.
This is not a timeline of Serafina's life. It follows what came afterwards: how her name re-emerged in libraries, feminist spaces, city streets, institutions and public tributes.
- 1988–present
Library
Biblioteca Serafina Dávalos del CDE
In 1988, the Centro de Documentación y Estudios (CDE) founded the Biblioteca Serafina Dávalos as part of its first women's programme. The CDE describes it as Paraguay's first library devoted to women's and gender studies. Its holdings now include thousands of books, periodicals, documents and newspaper collections.
- 2005–present
Cultural venue · published remembrance
Aireana, La Serafina and remembrance in print
Aireana named its feminist cultural venue La Serafina as an explicit tribute to Serafina Dávalos and has documented the initiative since 2005. In 2021 the organisation published De toda la vida: Memorias de lesbianas en Paraguay, including the chapter “Pioneras en todo: Serafina y Honoria”. A field photograph from September 2026 records the venue's facade and sign in Asunción.
- 2017–2026
Tributes
Tributes from the judiciary and the Senate
Paraguay's judiciary held a commemorative tribute on 28 September 2017. On 31 July 2026, the Senate organised a public discussion entitled “Mujeres políticas y humanismo” in Serafina's honour as part of the observance of Lawyers' Day.
- 2019–present
Place names
Streets and avenues named after Serafina Dávalos
Serafina's name appears on Asunción's Costanera Norte avenue and on streets in Los Laureles, Caacupé, Encarnación and Coronel Oviedo. In Asunción, the signed ordinance establishing the Costanera name is 257/19.
- 24 Feb 2026
International recognition
A portrait in the OAS Gallery of Heroines and Heroes
In Washington, the Organization of American States unveiled a portrait of Serafina by Paraguayan artist Laura Medina (Pepo) as part of its Gallery of Heroines and Heroes of the Americas. The OAS identifies her as the thirteenth woman represented in the gallery.
01 · A NAME IN THE CITY
Her name moved beyond the page.
Libraries, streets, services, institutions, murals and tributes make Serafina's memory part of everyday public life.
- 01
Library · 1988–present
Biblioteca Serafina Dávalos del CDE
In 1988, the Centro de Documentación y Estudios (CDE) founded the Biblioteca Serafina Dávalos as part of its first women's programme. The CDE describes it as Paraguay's first library devoted to women's and gender studies. Its holdings now include thousands of books, periodicals, documents and newspaper collections.
- 02
Place names · 2019–present
Streets and avenues named after Serafina Dávalos
Serafina's name appears on Asunción's Costanera Norte avenue and on streets in Los Laureles, Caacupé, Encarnación and Coronel Oviedo. In Asunción, the signed ordinance establishing the Costanera name is 257/19.
- 03
Institutions · 2004–2023
Her name in justice, diplomacy, education and public services
Serafina's name has been given to the women's prison in Coronel Oviedo, an auditorium at Asunción's Palace of Justice, the main hall of the Diplomatic and Consular Academy, a student centre at the Colegio Nacional de la Capital, and support centres for women and girls.
- 04
Public art · 2020–2024
Public murals featuring Serafina
Public murals in Encarnación (2020), at the Colegio de Abogados del Paraguay (2021) and at Turista Róga in Asunción (2024) feature Serafina alongside other women from Paraguayan history.
- 05
Tributes · 2017–2026
Tributes from the judiciary and the Senate
Paraguay's judiciary held a commemorative tribute on 28 September 2017. On 31 July 2026, the Senate organised a public discussion entitled “Mujeres políticas y humanismo” in Serafina's honour as part of the observance of Lawyers' Day.
- 06
OAS · 24 Feb 2026 ↗International recognition · 24 Feb 2026
A portrait in the OAS Gallery of Heroines and Heroes
In Washington, the Organization of American States unveiled a portrait of Serafina by Paraguayan artist Laura Medina (Pepo) as part of its Gallery of Heroines and Heroes of the Americas. The OAS identifies her as the thirteenth woman represented in the gallery.
02 · UNIVERSITIES
Serafina returns to the classroom.
Her name now belongs to university courses, programmes, awards, student groups and a campus monument. Remembering Serafina is no longer only a matter of looking back: it is part of teaching and public debate today.
2025–2026 · Education
University courses and a postgraduate programme bearing her name
Between 2025 and 2026, separate initiatives adopted Serafina's name at FDCS-UNA, FCTA-UNP, the Universidad Nacional de Itapúa and Universidad Columbia del Paraguay, the latter working with the CDE. Their programmes address gender, feminism, human rights and equality.
9 Sep 2026 · University remembrance
A commemorative bust at UNA’s Faculty of Law
UNA's Faculty of Law and Social Sciences announced and unveiled a bust of Serafina at the faculty entrance to mark her birthday. Contemporary reports associate the tribute with Resolution No. 795/2026.
2003–2023 · Awards
Municipal and university awards in her name
Asunción's municipal government established the Premio Municipal Serafina Dávalos under Ordinance 102/03 to encourage work towards gender equality. At FDCS-UNE, student editions of the Premio Serafina Dávalos were also documented in 2022 and 2023.
2017 · Student community
The Serafina Dávalos student collective at UNA Law
The Colectivo Serafina Dávalos described itself as a feminist student group at UNA's Faculty of Law. Its members sought to study law through a gender perspective and examine the professional lives of historically significant women. A CDE tribute video documents the group's work with Ana Barreto and David Velázquez Seiferheld.
30 September 2026 · Institutional agreement
UNI and Kuña Róga strengthen the Cátedra Libre “Serafina Dávalos”
The Faculty of Humanities at the Universidad Nacional de Itapúa and Kuña Róga signed Specific Agreement No. 1 to run the course on feminist studies and gender equality together. Teaching had already begun in August; the agreement formalised a partnership that keeps Serafina's name in active use.
03 · RETELLING HER STORY
Every generation finds a new way to tell her story.
Books, comics and biographies for new audiences show how her story has been received and retold over time.
Book
Rocco Carbone · Serafina Dávalos
Between 2019 and 2024, Serafina's legacy circulated in new biographies, comic strips, and theatrical works documented by editorial records, press, and official sources.
Comic
Serafina Dávalos: Precursora del Feminismo
Between 2019 and 2024, Serafina's legacy circulated in new biographies, comic strips, and theatrical works documented by editorial records, press, and official sources.
View the entry on Portal Guaraní ↗Children’s biography
Javier Viveros · Pionera paraguaya del feminismo
Between 2019 and 2024, Serafina's legacy circulated in new biographies, comic strips, and theatrical works documented by editorial records, press, and official sources.
A GROWING BIBLIOGRAPHY
2019–2025Books, comics and biographies for new generations
Recent publications have brought Serafina's story to new audiences. Rocco Carbone published Serafina Dávalos. Feminista in 2019 and 2020. A comic, Serafina Dávalos: Precursora del Feminismo, and Javier Viveros's children's biography appeared in 2020; another children's volume followed in 2021. In 2025 Rosemary Dávalos published a new 124-page book. The archive also lists a work by Encarnación “Chony” Calderón, whose full bibliographic details are still being sought.
WHEN A NAME BECOMES A PLACE
La Serafina.
Her name became more than a reference in history books: it was given to a living feminist cultural space, then found new meaning in popular culture.
La Serafina · photo published by HOY · 2023 ↗Aireana, La Serafina and remembrance in print
Aireana named its feminist cultural venue La Serafina as an explicit tribute to Serafina Dávalos and has documented the initiative since 2005. In 2021 the organisation published De toda la vida: Memorias de lesbianas en Paraguay, including the chapter “Pioneras en todo: Serafina y Honoria”. A field photograph from September 2026 records the venue's facade and sign in Asunción.
Beer relaunch · official Aireana / La Serafina gallery ↗Serafina in Paraguay’s craft-beer culture
Serafina's memory has also entered contemporary popular culture. Las Kuna / Sajonia created the Serafina American IPA in 2019, followed by Serafina 2.0 IPA in 2022. Aireana relaunched La Serafina as a Red Ale in 2024. These releases document modern remembrance, not historical facts about Serafina's life.
04 · LIVING CULTURE
From history to the stage.
Theatre, touring productions, music and film bring Serafina before new audiences. We document these artistic portrayals as part of her modern legacy—not as automatic evidence about events in her own life.
Theatre
From Las chicas del gym to El retrato de Serafina
Sofía Raquel Fernández Casabianca's novel Las chicas del gym included a significant storyline about Serafina, later developed into a monologue for the stage. Arlequín Teatro premiered El retrato de Serafina on 5 December 2024, directed by José Luis Ardissone and performed by Techi Pereira. A later interview traces the creative process and research undertaken with Mary Monte and Rosemary Dávalos.
Serafina, ¿Dónde estás? · HOY / @CulturaAsu · 2022 ↗Touring production
Serafina, ¿dónde estás? travels across cities and borders
The 2022 tour of Serafina, ¿dónde estás? is documented in Formosa, Encarnación, Pedro Juan Caballero, Buenos Aires, Resistencia and Asunción. Confirmed dated appearances include Formosa on 17 September and the Manzana de la Rivera cultural centre on 26 November.
Touring production
From courtrooms to cultural venues
The production reached an audience of judges and court staff in Corrientes on 8 March 2023. It opened the Anandu Unipersonales programme at Sala La Correa on 23 October 2023, then appeared at the Palace of Justice in Ciudad del Este on 11 September 2024.
Touring production
The tour continues at universities and public venues
A performance was scheduled at UNA's Faculty of Law for 6 June 2025, and the Senate confirmed another as part of its “Mujeres políticas y humanismo” programme on 31 July 2026. Contemporary reports also place the touring production in Pedro Juan Caballero, Encarnación, Villarrica, Coronel Oviedo, Formosa, Resistencia and Corrientes.
Theatre
Theatre behind bars in Coronel Oviedo
An official annual report from Paraguay's Ministry of Justice records a performance about Serafina by Gustavo Ilutovich inside the Centro Penitenciario de Mujeres Serafina Dávalos in Coronel Oviedo.
SourcesSRC-156Theatre
Serafina: Lumbrera de nuestro tiempo
The Municipal Performing Arts Fund awarded Gs. 35,000,000 to Nora Robles Villalba for the project Serafina: Lumbrera de nuestro tiempo. That creative process led to Hora de la novela, a stage work drawing on Serafina's writings and life to examine violence against women that society has come to treat as normal.
Music
The song Serafina Dávalos
At the judiciary's tribute to Serafina on 28 September 2017, Ricardo Flecha performed the song Serafina Dávalos, written and composed by Carlos Noguera.
Film and video
Alquimistas: Historia de las Mujeres en Paraguay
In 1995, the CDE and DECIDAMOS produced a 25-minute audiovisual work entitled Alquimistas: Historia de las Mujeres en Paraguay. It is a separate publication from the 1993 book Alquimistas.
SourcesSRC-183
05 · HERITAGE
The house has a story of its own.
The house associated with Serafina has outlived her. Today it also raises unresolved questions about preservation, ownership, historical interpretation and restoration.
2026 · Law 7679/2026 and oversight of the restoration
Explore Casa Serafina06 · RESEARCH AND RECOVERY
A legacy kept alive by people.
Family members, historians, artists, organisations and students continue to research, portray and debate Serafina's life and legacy. A gathering in 2020 brought together Rosemary Dávalos, Line Bareiro, David Velázquez Seiferheld and Mary Monte. Contemporary theatre offers further paths into this history and its remembrance.
27 sep 2020 · recording identified
Serafina en septiembre… y siempre
This online gathering brought together Rosemary Dávalos, Line Bareiro, David Velázquez Seiferheld and Mary Monte, with Pili Rodríguez moderating. The related audiovisual recording has been identified with high confidence. During the event, Mary Monte presented a newly discovered photograph of Serafina with members of the Faculty of Law teaching staff.
HOW TO READ THIS EVIDENCE
Remembrance is not biography.
A street name, university course, play, tribute or new edition shows that people continue to remember Serafina. None of them, on its own, establishes a new fact about her life. That is why this page distinguishes modern remembrance from historical evidence.
A STORY STILL UNFOLDING
Paraguay is still writing the story of how it remembers Serafina.
Remember her
Photographs, family memories, publications, programmes, posters and personal accounts can help complete this picture.
Share a memory →Research her life and legacy
The site keeps unresolved questions and missing documents visible so research can continue.
Explore ongoing research →Protect her heritage
The house and objects associated with Serafina's memory need careful documentation, historical context and preservation.
Explore the house →