Biography of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Dreams of Knights

29 September 1547
23 April 1616
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born on 29 September 1547 to Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Comes from a family of modest conditions; his father is a "Dear surgeon" exercising the profession without having neither a degree nor a great social prestige. Cervantes family must often change cities because of the dramatic financial situation in which, because of the continuing his father's debts. With his family, Miguel stays in various cities such as Cordoba, Valladolid, Seville and Madrid. For the young cannot attend regular school buildings, for which he studied at religious institutes headed by the Jesuits in Córdoba and Seville, and then enroll in the College "El Estudio" of Madrid, headed by Juan López de Hoyos.
Soon began to write his first verses, showing he has a great humanist and a great creative talent. In 1569 is wanted by police in Madrid for their wounded during a brawl, which broke out in the city, Antonio Sigura. In Spain has sentenced in absentia and cut his right hand, so decides to leave his native land by taking refuge in Italy. In Italy stay in Duchy of Atri, Abruzzo, entering the service of Cardinal Giulio Acquaviva as courtier. Two years after his flight into Italian territory, decides to leave aboard the galley Marquesa, part of the naval fleet of the Holy League against the Turkish enemy. The fleet brings an important victory in the naval battle of Lepanto in 1571 October 7. During the fighting was injured in the chest and the left hand, which loses the use due to bad treatment by doctors army surgeons.
After spending a lot of time at the hospital in Messina, taking part in numerous military expeditions in the Mediterranean. During periods of suspension of hostilities, stay in Naples. During the short periods spent in city Bell, reads many Italian Latin writers, lyrics, humanists, showing a great interest in classical literature. In 1575 he decides to leave Naples to leave his homeland, Spain. The goal of this journey, through a series of letters of recommendation, is to make sure the guide of a ferry company. Thus manages to obtain the command of the galley of the Sol, but is attacked by pirates in the same year. Cervantes is taken prisoner and, only after a ransom paid by the Trinitarians (religious order founded by St. John of Matha), is freed on 24 October 1580. At this time makes one of his works, titled "El amante liberal," dedicated to his friend Antonio Veneziano, Italian poet known during the years of exile. After the period of imprisonment back in Spain where he is forced to live in very difficult economic conditions and where must bear various humiliations.
After knowing Catalina de Salazar y Palacios, joined in marriage with her in 1584. In this period the spouses establish themselves in Esquivias, near Toledo. During these years he published the novel "The Galatea" and, after a brief unhappy marriage only lasted two years, divorced from his wife. Later she moved to Andalusia, where will provide commissions for the invincible Spanish Armada and where the profession of tax earner. Shortly after he was arrested at the city of Seville because of administrative offences that allegedly committed, but is shortly released into the wild. Back to Valladolid, where he lives with his sisters and daughter Isabella, born from one of his love affairs. In 1605, after the discovery of the corpse of the Knight Gaspar de Ezpeleta near his home, is a suspect in the murder. In this circumstance is stop by the Spanish police, but there was overwhelming evidence against him was immediately acquitted of the charges. In the same year the Spanish writer realizes his best known novel, "El hingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha", divided into two parts which tells the story of hidalgo Spaniard Alonso Quijiano, man fond of romances. In an imaginary world, these pretends to be a wandering knight, don Quixote, which together with the farmer Sancho Panza part for countless adventures in order to repair the wrongs and defend the weak. Don Quixote feels the need to dedicate his exploits the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso adventurer, which is actually a simple Spanish peasant, Aldonza Lorenzo.
Don Quixote, however, live in a historical period for Spain is not adventurer, whereby his exploits will be few. With his imagination, so Don Quixote pretends that the flocks of sheep are enemy armies to challenge, that the windmills are giants with arms that spin and finally the other puppets are demons. With this literary work Miguel de Cervantes achieved great success in the Spain of the time as well as other countries. He devoted himself to the creation of comedies as "El cerco de Numancia" and "El Trato de Argel". Also in these years ends of composing prose "El viaje del Parnaso", written during youth but published in 1614 with an entry called "Add-on to Parnassus". His literary output is rich and the following year ends his play "Ocho ocho y entremesas comedy", regarded as one of his best work. A year later, makes one of his last works, "Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda", to be published in 1617 after his death. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra died in Madrid on 23 April 1616 on the same day that dies the artist and playwright William Shakespeare.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.