Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616) is world famous for his novel ´don Quichote de la Mancha´ or "The ingenious nobleman don Quichote of La Mancha. The first part of the book was published in 1605 and the second part in 1615.

By reading many chivalric novels, the ingenious nobleman becomes under the delusion that he is the chosen one to confront evil in the world. He experienced the first failure of his imagined mission after being knighted. After being beaten black and blue at an inn, he was brought back home by a peasant. However, he did not let himself be known and found a farmhand ´Sancho Panza´ willing to go with him, together with his horse ´Rocinant´. Together they experienced many imaginary adventures and became involved in one battle after another, including the fight against windmills. We all know the story of don Quixote mistaking windmills and their sails for soldiers waving weapons in their hands.

Love in a knight's novel cannot be missing, of course, and don Quixote makes the peasant girl ´Dulcinea´ his lover. When the knight and his servant return to their native village after many travels, don Quixote is felled by fever and dies.

This book by Miguel Cervantes is the most widely read book in the world after the Bible. Think before you begin because it has 1117 pages. Not surprisingly, even stamps with the image of don Quijote were issued (1998) and there are many drawings, posters, figurines, etc.

Like many other artists, Miguel Cervantes became famous and loved for his work after his death and you can find his image on the Euro coins of 10, 20 and 50 cents, for example.