Francisca Sarasate Navascués (A Coruña, 29 November 1853 â Pamplona, 1 May 1922) was a Spanish writer. She signed some of her books with her married surname, Francisca Sarasate de Mena. Her works included fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, with some of the latter being set to music by others. Sarasate served as director of La Gaceta de ParÃÂs.
Her parents were Miguel Sarasate Juanena, a military musician, and Francisca Javiera Navascués Oarriechena. Francisca's brother was the violinist Pablo de Sarasate. She was born in A Coruña while her father was stationed there, but Francisca considered herself Navarrese like the rest of her family.
She married the Carlist professor and writer , and was widowed in April 1916.
Her first novel was a contribution in La Ilustración Española y Americana in 1879. Her writings earned her some admiration among musicians such as Camille Saint-Saëns, who in 1880 composed in Sarasate's honor the Aragonese jota "A mademoiselle Paquita de Sarasate". Some of Sarasate's poems were set to music by her brother. She gave several lectures at the and was director of La Gaceta de ParÃÂs.
In 1882, Sarasate won the 5th prize -consisting of a golden pen- in the contest organized by the City Council of Alba de Tormes on the occasion of the 3rd Centenary of the death of Teresa de ÃÂvila, for âÂÂAmor divinoâÂÂ.