Miguel+de+Cervantes

__** Miguel de Cervantes **__ Miguel de Cervantes was born on September 29, 1547, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, a small town near Madrid. He died April 22, 1616. He was buried in the Covenant of the Barefoot Trinitarians. Miguel, a Roman Catholic, was the fourth child to be born to Rodrigo de Cervantes and Leonor de Cortinas. His father, Rodrigo, was an apothecary-surgeon. There is very little information known about his mother. Miguel was one of five known children. Upon his father's death, it was discovered in his will that there was actually a sixth child, Jaun.

Miguel served in the Spanish army from 1570-57. While in the army, he experienced three gunshot wounds, two to the chest, and one to his left arm. The shot to the left arm disabled him from using it, and he was nicknamed the cripple of Lepanto. Shortly after his time in the war, he was sold into slavery. Miguel attempted to escape four times but never succeeded. He lived in slavery for five years. After five years, Miguel was released by ransom paid by the Trinitarians and his family. Miguel was sent back to Madrid to live with his family. There he met his wife, Catalina de Salazar y Palacios, who was 22 years younger than Miguel. The marriage between Catalina and Miguel was childless; however, he had an affair with actress, Ana Franca de Rojas that produced a daughter, Isabel de Saavedra.

Miguel was a novelist, poet, and play writer and is best known as the author of the book __Don Quixote de La Mancha__. One of his famous quotes was "Every man is as heaven made him, and sometimes a great deal worse." Miguel was a very positive influence on the Spanish.

Siblings:
 * And﻿rés (1543)
 * Andrea (1544)
 * Luisa (1546)
 * Rodrigo (1550)
 * Magdelena (1554)
 * Juan (date not mentioned)

Books, novels, poems, and plays:
 * published 4 poems in Madrid, with his teacher Lopez de Hoyos
 * wrote 30 plays but only 2 survived
 * __La Espanola Inglesa__, __La Galatea__, and __Don Quixote de La Mancha__

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