Miguel de Cervantes, novelist. Notable works and biography

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Miguel de Cervantes

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Portrait of the writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, © EFE

Speciality

Literature

Date of birth

Sep 29, 1547

Date of death

Apr 22, 1616

"A universal author. His figure and works reached far beyond his native land of Spain and the Spanish language, crossing geographical, cultural and linguistic boundaries to become part of world heritage."

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On 9 October 1547, Miguel de Cervantes, “Prince of Geniuses”, the fourth of seven children born to Rodrigo de Cervantes and Leonor de Cortinas, was baptised at Santa María la Mayor Parish Church in Alcalá de Henares. A life of poverty did not prevent him from becoming the most universal of writers in Castilian Spanish and the best read of all time, with his novel Don Quixote. As an enlisted infantry soldier he took part in many campaigns and was wounded at the battle of Lepanto. He was held captive in Algiers and was in prison in Seville and Valladolid. He was driven by debts and lack of recognition to enter the Espírtu Santo Convent and the Third Order of the Franciscans. He died before his favourite work was published: “Los trabajos de Persiles y Segismunda”.

Essential works

El retablo de las maravillas

Moralising interlude by Miguel de Cervantes in which he adapts the Oriental story of the Emperor's new clothes.
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La Galatea

A pastoral novel by Cervantes that conceals a deeper study of the psychology of love.
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The Baths of Algiers

This comedy by Cervantes, in which he presents his view of the Moorish world on foot of his captivity in Algiers, was never premiered.
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Persiles and Sigismunda

This is a chivalric romance by Miguel de Cervantes in which he narrates the fantastical adventures of ‘Persiles’ and ‘Sigismunda’.
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Exemplary Novels

A collection of short novels of a moralising character written by Miguel de Cervantes between 1590 and 1612.
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