Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) was a Spanish novelist widely considered one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, often cited as the first modern novel and a pinnacle of world literature. Much of Cervantes's life was spent in poverty and obscurity, though in his later years he was supported by a count and wrote some of his most famous works, including Don Quixote Parts 1 and 2. Despite facing challenges, Cervantes had a significant influence on Spanish literature as the language is often referred to as 'the language of Cervantes.'

2. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
 Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ,29
September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616
NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as
the greatest writer in the Spanish language
and one of the world's pre-eminent
novelists. He is best known for his novel
Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the
first modern novel and one of the pinnacles
of world literature.

3.  This person whom you see here, with an oval
visage, chestnut hair, smooth open forehead, lively
eyes, a hooked but well-proportioned nose, and
silvery beard that twenty years ago was golden,
large moustache, small mouth, teeth not much to
speak of, for he has only six, in bad condition and
worse placed, no two of them corresponding to
each other, a figure midway between the two
extremes, neither tall nor short, a vivid
complexion, rather fair than dark, somewhat
stooped in the shoulders, and not very light
footed.

4.  Much of his life was spent in poverty and
obscurity, while the bulk of his surviving
work was produced in the three years
preceding his death, when he was supported
by the Count of Lemos and did not have to
work. Despite this, his influence and literary
contribution are reflected by the fact that
Spanish is often referred to as "the language
of Cervantes".

5. No authenticated image of Cervantes
exists. He wanted a now-lost portrait
by Juan de Jáuregui used as a
frontispiece of his Exemplary Novels.
Since the publisher would not pay for
the engraving this would require,
Cervantes supplied in its place a
description of himself:

6. An incident in the story of Don
Quixote (1870), by English painter
Robert Hillingford, depicts a scene
from Cervantes's magnum opus.

7.  In 1569, Cervantes was forced to leave Spain
and moved to Rome, where he worked in the
household of a cardinal. In 1570, he enlisted in
a Spanish Navy infantry regiment, and was
badly wounded at the Battle of Lepanto in
October 1571. He served as a soldier until 1575,
when he was captured by Barbary pirates; after
five years in captivity, he was ransomed, and
returned to Madrid.

8.  His first significant novel, titled La Galatea, was
published in 1585, but he continued to work as a
purchasing agent, then later a government tax
collector. Part One of Don Quixote was published in
1605, Part Two in 1615. Other works include the 12
Novelas ejemplares (Exemplary Novels); a long poem,
the Viaje del Parnaso (Journey to Parnassus); and
Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses (Eight Plays and
Eight Entr'actes). Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda
(The Travails of Persiles and Sigismunda), was
published posthumously in 1616

9. Biography
 Santa María la Mayor, in Alcalá de Henares, where
Cervantes was reputedly baptised; the square in front
is named Plaza Cervantes.

10.  Despite his subsequent renown, much of Cervantes's
life is uncertain, including his name, background and
what he looked like. Although he signed himself
Cerbantes, his printers used Cervantes, which became
the common form. In later life, Cervantes used
Saavedra, the name of a distant relative, rather than
the more usual Cortinas, after his mother.[13] But
historian Luce López-Baralt, claimed that it comes
from the word «shaibedraa» that in crippled Arabic
dialect is single-handed, his nickname during his
captivity.

11.  Another area of dispute is his religious background. It has
been suggested that not only Cervantes's father but also his
mother may have been New Christians.[15][16][17]
According to Anthony Cascardi "While the family might
have had some claim to nobility they often found
themselves in financial straits. Moreover, they were almost
certainly of converso origin, that is, converts to Catholicism
of Jewish ancestry. In the Spain of Cervantes' days, this
meant living under clouds of official suspicion and social
mistrust, with far more limited opportunities than were
enjoyed by members of the ‘Old Christian’ caste."[

12.  It is generally accepted Miguel de Cervantes was born
around 29 September 1547, in Alcalá de Henares. He
was the second son of barber-surgeon Rodrigo de
Cervantes and his wife, Leonor de Cortinas (c. 1520–
1593).[19] Rodrigo came from Córdoba, Andalusia,
where his father Juan de Cervantes was an influential
lawyer.