Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, born 29 September 1547 (assumed) in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and died 22 April 1616 in Madrid, is regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and a foundational figure of modern literature. He is best known for his two-part novel *Don Quixote*, often called the first modern novel and frequently cited as the best book ever written. His life was marked by hardship: after an early move to Rome and service in the Spanish Navy, he was severely wounded at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, losing use of his left arm. Captured by Barbary pirates in 1575, he spent five years as a slave before being ransomed. His first novel, *La Galatea*, appeared in 1585, but he struggled financially as a purchasing agent and tax collector. *Don Quixote* Part One was published in 1605, Part Two in 1615. His other works include the *Exemplary Novels*, the poem *Journey to Parnassus*, and *Eight Plays and Eight Interludes*. His posthumous novel *The Travails of Persiles and Sigismunda* came out in 1617. Tradition holds that he conceived *Don Quixote* while imprisoned in the cave of Medrano in Argamasilla de Alba. Spanish is often called "the language of Cervantes," underscoring his enduring influence.