Contents
Miguel de Cervantes
Writing Don Quixote, a landmark in the development of the novel.
Don Quixote · Exemplary Novels
- Born
- 1547
- Birthplace
- Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Died
- 22 April 1616
More people
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright and poet whose best-known characters are Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Early life
Family
Grew up in the household of a surgeon.
Early adulthood
Travelled to Italy before military service.
Career
- 1570s
Soldier and captive
Fought at Lepanto and later spent years captive in Algiers.
- 1580s–1590s
Writing and employment
Wrote plays and prose while working in government-related posts.
- 1600s–1610s
Major publications
Published Don Quixote and other late works.
Selected work
Don Quixote
A would-be knight and his companion travel through an unromantic world.
Exemplary Novels
A collection of short prose narratives.
The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda
A romance published after his death.
Beyond work
Captivity
Was held in Algiers for five years before being ransomed.
Injury
Lost the effective use of his left hand after wounds at Lepanto.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Attributed to Juan de Jáuregui. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
