Mexican journalist, politician, writer and teacher

He was born in Tixtla, in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, on November 13th, 1834.
He completed his first studies in the city of Toluca, thanks to a scholarship granted by Ignacio Ramírez, of whom he was a disciple.

He was assigned a professorship at the Literary Institute of Toluca. He attended law courses at the College of San Juan de Letrán.
He was a member of numerous academic and literary associations such as the Mexican Dramatic Conservatory, the Nezahualcoyotl Society, the Mexican Geography and Statistics Society, the Liceo Hidalgo, and the Club Álvarez.

As a Mexican politician, man of letters and historian, he was one of the leading exponents of the movement for the liberation of Mexico from foreign influence. Of Indian origin, he became an important representative of his people and was consul in Spain and France.
A great defender of liberalism, he took part in the "Ayutla Revolution" against Santanism and later, during the "War of the Reformation", fought against the French invasion.

After this period of military conflict, Altamirano devoted himself to teaching, working as a teacher in the National Preparatory School, the School of Commerce and the National School of Teachers. He also worked for the press and, together with Guillermo Prieto and Ignacio Ramírez, founded the "Correo de México" and, with Gonzalo Esteva, the literary magazine "El Renacimiento", in which writers of all literary tendencies collaborated and whose aim was to revive Mexican literature. He also participated in the foundation of other newspapers such as "El Federalista", "La Tribuna" and "La República".

In 1891 he moved to San Remo to recover from consumption, where he died on 13th February 1893, assisted by Gio Bernardo Calvino, with whom he had become friends and who shared his Masonic faith.
The Municipality erected a statue in his honour in the park of Villa Ormond.

He was cremated and transferred, via New York and Veracruz, to Mexico City.

On the occasion of the centenary of his birth, his ashes were deposited in the "Rotunda of Illustrious Men".
The Ignacio Manuel Altamirano" medal was created and awarded to teachers on the occasion of their 50th birthday.

(sources: from the book "Sanremo e l'Europa, l'Immagine della Città tra Otto e Novecento" edited by Letizia Lodi; ediz. Scalpendi, 2018; Wikipedia)