On December 10, marking the 80th anniversary of Gabriela Mistral receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, the original medal and diploma will be exhibited to the general public for the first time at the Church of San Francisco in Santiago. The poet bequeathed the prize to the people of Chile under the custody of the Franciscan Order, and the items have remained safeguarded for security reasons. The exhibition aims to honor her spiritual and cultural legacy.
Gabriela Mistral received the Nobel Prize in Literature on December 10, 1945, becoming the first Hispanic American woman to win it. In her acceptance speech, she said: “Today Sweden turns to distant Iberian America to honor it in one of the many works of its culture.” Dressed in a black velvet gown, she accepted the medal from King Gustaf V of Sweden, along with a diploma.
Upon her death on January 10, 1957, Mistral bequeathed the prize to the people of Chile, stipulating custody by the Franciscan Order. For security reasons, the original items—the gold medal and unique diploma—are kept in reserve, while replicas are displayed in the Sala Gabriela Mistral at the Museo de Arte Colonial de San Francisco in Santiago.
The medal, minted by the Norwegian Mint and designed by Erik Lindberg, features Alfred Nobel on the obverse and, on the reverse for Literature, a man writing inspired by a muse, with the Latin inscription: “Invented to improve knowledge.” The diploma, an artwork on skin parchment hand-painted in wash technique by Berta Svensson, illustrates Mistral's poems “La Copa” and “El Hijo,” with motifs reflecting era perceptions of Latin America.
On December 10, 2025, at the event “A Nobel for the People of Chile,” the originals will be shown unprecedentedly at the Church of San Francisco, after a mass at 8:00 a.m., from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Also exhibited will be a brooch, replica of the ceremony dress, photographs, press clippings, the original speech, audio records, and key books. Culture Minister Carolina Arredondo stated: “This exhibition not only pays homage to an essential figure in our history but also values her human and social legacy.”
Deeply spiritual, Mistral connected with the Franciscan Order through her friend Palma Guillén, taking vows and admiring St. Francis of Assisi. She requested burial in the Franciscan habit. A 2023 theft affected replicas, but the original remains secure, with a joint protection plan from the National Cultural Heritage Service.