Miguel de Cervantes, born in 1547 in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, came from a modest family. He studied in Madrid and Italy, where he absorbed Renaissance ideas that shaped his writing. Cervantes joined the Spanish navy, and during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, he was wounded and lost the use of his left hand. In 1575, his military career ended when Barbary pirates captured him, holding him as a slave in Algiers for five years until ransomed.After his release, Cervantes returned to Spain and struggled financially as a writer and civil servant. He experienced hardships, including imprisonment, which deeply influenced his work. In 1605, he published Don Quixote, a groundbreaking novel that explored themes of idealism, reality, and social criticism, securing his place as a literary genius.Despite Don Quixote's success, Cervantes lived in poverty until his death in 1616. He wrote other works, including Novelas ejemplares and The Persiles, but none matched Don Quixote's impact. Today, Cervantes is celebrated as a foundational figure in Western literature, known for his wit, insight into human nature, and influential storytelling.
