Lila de Alba

Cuenca, Friday 5th June 2026

The Ultimate Power Lunch: Twelve Women and a Question of Heroism

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you put twelve women of significant historical consequence into a single hypothetical green room, someone will eventually ask a deeply earnest icebreaker question.

We had gathered in an ethereal, time-agnostic coffee house. The Wi-Fi was strong enough for Giorgia Meloni to check her polls, but the ambiance was rustic enough to keep Jane Austen from having a sensory overload. The question on the table—tossed out casually over oat milk lattes and black teas—was simple: Who is your ultimate female hero?

What followed was a masterclass in ego, empathy, and political maneuvering.

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