in 1847, her husband was murdered in pativilca and she was denied her 8,000 pesos inheritance. disabled after the stairs in her home collapsed, manuela died in paita, on november 23, 1856, during a diphtheria epidemic. her body was buried in a communal, mass grave and her belongings were burned. the items that did survive, personal letters and artifacts, contributed later to the legacy of both her and simon bolívar.