We’re María José and Luisa, two friends and classmates who were born and raised in Almería but who have found a second home in the beautiful city of Granada. When we first met in the corridors of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Granada, back in 2007, we thought it was just one of those fleeting, unimportant encounters we all have.
Photo by Manuel Jiménez Belloso
It was around this time that we also started to realise just how different we were from each other. One of us loved to cook, the other was more about the eating part. One was an avid reader, the other a restless writer. One loved to dance, the other couldn’t live without music. You get the idea…
With the passage of time we have also come to realise pretty effortlessly: just how well we complement each other. Or, maybe it’s more fitting to say how naturally we make a great team.
Little did we know, life had other plans…
The classrooms, desks, and piles of work were the first witnesses to the birth of our friendship, which began in our second year at university and grew stronger still in distant Sosnowiec in Poland, where we studied at the University of Silesia.
It was 2010, our first year as roommates, and it was also the year we discovered our shared passion for travelling. We took countless trips during our Erasmus year. And we’ve taken dozens more since then. But we’ll come to that later…
We both graduated in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Granada and are also Sworn Translators and Interpreters appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation.
After Granada and Sosnowiec, our paths diverged for a while…
María José had a brief stint in tourism, but it didn’t take her long to realise that her heart lay in translation and working closely with clients. She soon found her way as a freelance translator in her home town of Albox – a path that would eventually lead her here.
It took a little longer for Luisa to join her. She spent several years in the corporate world before realising there was a better way to put her language skills and customer relations experience to work: translation. So, alongside her tireless partner, she too established herself as a translator and began this fascinating journey.
Photo by Tomás García Martos
It wasn’t long before we started working together. We swapped the faculty desks for our office desks, and our professors for our clients. With every collaborative project, we became more aware of what a great team we made.
And with every trip, we realised that our synergy was too special to just keep between friends – it was meant for something bigger in the professional world. And here we are, almost twenty years after that chance encounter in the corridors of our faculty, eager to embark on a new journey… and for you to be a part of it.
And so, between projects and travels, we arrived at the 22nd of November 2024, the day on which we made a reality of what we had whispered so many times, afraid that saying it aloud would make it disappear, as if it were something unreal or from the world of dreams. It was on that day that we decided to finally pool our knowledge and experience in order to offer our clients the best possible service.
On that day, we planted the first seeds of what is now Mercure Lingua.
Little by little, the idea began to take shape, fuelled by strong coffee, notebooks brimming with scribbles and endless meetings. There were nerves, there were doubts, and plenty of exhaustion… but above all, there was excitement.
The excitement of creating something of our own, something that would speak of us and our strength as a team.
Choosing the name for our company was one of the most challenging tasks.
We wanted it to reflect our essence, our approach to work, and our core values — quality, approachability, and a strong commitment to every project we undertake.
In the world of language services, we knew that trust is essential, so we wanted Mercure Lingua to become synonymous with professionalism and approachability.
The name originated through a process full of inspiration and serendipity.
During a brainstorming session on 20 January, the first part came to mind: Linguae. We’ve always had a soft spot for Latin — we both studied it at secondary school — and it felt like a fitting way to reflect our deep connection to languages.
A few weeks later, as we were walking through the Principe di Napoli Gallery, something almost magical happened. Luisa shouted, ‘Mercurio!’ and María José looked at her, smiling. In that instant, we knew we were on the right track.
And finally, on 15 March, while strolling through the beautiful streets of Granada, the name took its final form: MERCURE LINGUA.
You may have noticed that it matches our initials.
We promise it wasn’t intentional, but, as the saying goes, ‘All’s well that ends well…’
It makes perfect sense. If you want to find out…
It has been a long and challenging journey, but one that we’ve made the most of.
We started by offering translation services and, little by little we’ve continued to develop and expand our services and areas of specialisation. And while we genuinely enjoy every project that comes our way, now that we know ourselves better, we can confidently say that after all these years, projects, and experiences, we’ve developed a special love for sworn translation, transcreation and copywriting.
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