He Came from a Large Family

One of the interesting facts about Miguel de Cervantes is that he comes from a big family. Rodrigo Cervantes had a total of seven children, the fourth of whom, Miguel De Cervantes, was born in Alcalá de Henares. His mother, Leonor de Cortinas, had reading and writing abilities at a period when it was uncommon for women of that era, while his father was deaf and a surgeon.

His older sister Magdalena died five years before Miguel was born, his younger brother Juan on an unknown date and his older brother Andres tragically passed away shortly after birth. His sister Luisa became a nun in the Catholic Church. He also has a younger brother named Rodrigo and a second sister named Andreas. The oldest son, Miguel de Cervantes, was born three years before his brother Rodrigo in 1547. The youngest, Juan, was born in 1555 and died at an unknown date, while the youngest, Magdalena, passed away five years before Cervantes.

Although his father was a surgeon, the profession was not as well-respected as it is today. As his father looked for better opportunities, it was difficult to secure employment, forcing the family to travel frequently. Cervantes was claimed to be a voracious reader, a skill he was said to have learned from a relative, despite the family's precarious financial condition.

While the majority of his surviving works were produced in the three years prior to his death, when he was sponsored by Count Lemos and not compelled to work a job, much of his life was spent in poverty and obscurity. Nevertheless, the fact that Spanish is frequently referred to as "the language of Cervantes" is evidence of his literary influence and contribution.