It didn’t work. Instead the couple – with Marcela pregnant by an unidentified man – were forced to flee to Portugal. After Marcela gave birth to a daughter, the threat of extradition pushed them to board a boat to Buenos Aries, where records show Elisa married a wealthy Danish man. That union ended acrimoniously, amid accusations of fraud on her part.

After that, the story trails off until 1909, when newspapers tragically reported Elisa had committed suicide in Veracruz, Mexico.

Elisa and Marcela’s struggle to be recognised is one that still resonates with queer individuals around the world, and activists have welcomed the news of the film as a step forward in representing lesbian relationships on the big screen.

“We lesbians have virtually no [out] role models in Spain among politicans, actresses or artists,” said Immaculada Mujika Flores, director of Spanish LGBT organization Aldarte.

“If this story was about two gay men, I’m sure it would be better known. There are still people who keep their sexuality secret […] due to embarrassment or a fear of being fired.”

Throughout 2018, Stylist is raising the profiles of important women past and present – and empowering future generations to follow their lead – with our Visible Women campaign. See more from Visible Women here.

The incredible tale of Spain's first lesbian marriage is being made into a film