(1547-1616) Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish writer, poet and playwright, considered one of the most important figures in world literature. He was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and is best known for his masterpiece Don Quixote de la Mancha, published in two parts (1605 and 1615), which is considered the first modern novel and one of the greatest literary works of all time. In addition to Don Quixote, Cervantes wrote numerous novels, comedies and entremeses, and his life was marked by diverse experiences, including his participation as a soldier in the Battle of Lepanto, his capture by Algerian pirates, and years of economic hardship. Cervantes’ influence on Spanish language and culture is so profound that Spanish is often referred to as “the language of Cervantes”.
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