author
Ricardo Fernández Guardia
1867–1950
A major voice in Costa Rican letters, he combined lively storytelling with careful historical research. His books helped shape the country’s literary tradition and the way generations learned Costa Rica’s past.
1 Audiobook
Costa Rican tales
by Ricardo Fernández Guardia
About the author
Born in Alajuela on January 4, 1867, Ricardo Fernández Guardia was a Costa Rican writer, historian, diplomat, and politician. He came from a prominent intellectual family and pursued diplomatic service early in life, representing Costa Rica in Europe, the Americas, and Central America. He later directed the National Archives and helped establish historical and geographical institutions in Costa Rica.
Fernández Guardia wrote both literary and historical works, including Hojarasca, Cuentos ticos, Historia de Costa Rica: El descubrimiento y la conquista, and Cartilla histórica de Costa Rica. His clear, literary approach to history made him a central figure in the development of Costa Rican historiography, while his fiction contributed to the emergence of realism and modern theater in the country. He died in San José on February 5, 1950.