Bárbara Heliodora (poet)

Bárbara Heliodora Guilhiermina da Silveira (São João del-Rei, c. 1759 – São Gonçalo do Sapucaí, May 24, 1819) was a Brazilian poet, gold miner and political activist.

For some scholars, she was descended from one of the most illustrious families in São Paulo: Amador Bueno, the acclaimed one.

In fact, Alvarenga Peixoto and Bárbara Heliodora lived together for some time, and only married, by the ordinance of the Bishop of Mariana, on December 22, 1781, when Maria Iphigenia, the couple's daughter, was already three years old.

By virtue of her marriage to Alvarenga, and her instant participation in the Inconfidente movement, Barbara won the title of "Heroine of Inconfidência of Minas Gerais".

She lost Maria Ifigênia, her eldest daughter, when she was still 13 years old, and had suffered a violent horse fall that had caused her death, due to the return journey from Campanha da Princesa to São Gonçalo do Sapucaí.