Miguel de Cervantes – Spanish Renaissance writer, author of Don Quixote, regarded as the first modern novel. He fought at the Battle of Lepanto and spent years captive in Algiers. His prose blended satire and humanism, becoming a symbol of Spanish culture and world literature.
⚔️ At the Battle of Lepanto (1571), Cervantes was wounded in the hand and left maimed. ⛓️ Spent five years captive in Algiers, attempting several escapes. 📖 Don Quixote (1605, 1615) mocked outdated chivalry and pioneered the modern novel. 💸 Struggled with debt throughout his life, working as a tax collector. 🎭 Also wrote plays and short stories, such as Exemplary Novels. 📚 His works inspired countless operas, ballets, and artworks. 🏛️ A monument to him stands in Madrid’s Plaza de España. 😲 Curious fact: the first edition of Don Quixote was pirated almost immediately. 😄 Funny fact: Cervantes joked that Don Quixote “made him more famous than all the kings of Spain combined.”