She was the youngest of two children born to Guillem Virgili and Carme Rodón Pelegri.

After gaining an honours degree in Natural Science in 1949 she went into teaching at schools in the area of the Catalan county of Vallès.

[1] In August 1953 Barcelona university created a degree in Geology which they separated from the subject of Natural Sciences.

From 1996 to 2000 she was a Socialists' Party of Catalonia senator active in commissions on euthanasia, risk assessment or Iberoamerican relationships.

She wrote over 100 publications and she received numerous honours including a Gold Medal from the University of Barcelona in 2011 and emeritus professorship at the Universidad Complutense.