Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet, is most renowned for his novel “Don Quixote.” He was born in Alcala de Henares in 1547 and spent a significant portion of his childhood in a small town near Madrid. Cervantes was of Jewish descent on his mother's side, while his father worked as a surgeon. However, not much is known about his childhood, with most information coming from his later years. He studied in Madrid and published several short works of poetry during his time there.
Cervantes moved to Italy in 1569, where he served as a valet to Giulio Acquaviva, a wealthy priest who became a cardinal the following year. By then, Cervantes had enlisted as a soldier in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment, continuing his military life until 1575 when he was captured by Algerian corsairs and held captive until his ransom was paid by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order. After his release, Cervantes returned to his family in Madrid. In 1584, he married Catalina de Salazar y Palacios and spent the next 20 years leading a nomadic existence, working as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada and as a tax collector. He suffered a bankruptcy and was imprisoned twice for irregularities in his accounts. Cervantes died in Madrid on April 23, 1616.
Cervantes is widely regarded as the greatest figure in Spanish literature, with “Don Quixote” considered his magnum opus and the first modern novel. His work is known for its originality, with Cervantes parodying the dying genre of books of chivalry to create the novelistic genre of the picaresque. This genre, characterized by its use of multiple perspectives and metafictional elements, would go on to have a significant influence on European literature. Cervantes' “Novelas ejemplares” is another testament to his literary genius, showcasing his desire to experiment with narrative structures and his wide-ranging interests. The realism and innovation of Cervantes' work continue to be celebrated and studied today.