Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), the most famous of all Spanish authors, was born near Madrid to a family of seven children. Little is known of his early life or education. His father combined the duties of a barber and surgeon, and his family traveled from town to town. In 1571, he fought bravely in a sea battle against the Turks and was severely wounded, losing the use of his left hand. In 1575, he was captured and sold into slavery in Algiers. There he remained for five years, until he was ransomed and returned to Spain in 1580. In 1584, he married Ana de Villafranca from the province of La Mancha, a woman eighteen years younger than he. The following year, he published his first novel, La Galatea. From 1582 to 1587, he wrote numerous plays. As a government officer, he helped raise provisions for the Spanish Armada launched against England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (see page 66 of this textbook). The first part of his most famous work, The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha, was published in 1605, the second part in 1615.