The house museum of Cervantes, located in Valladolid, is the house in which Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra actually lived in 1605. It can be accessed through Rastro Street but the front garden extends to Miguel Íscar Street. The house is currently part of a bigger block of five houses, built by Juan de las Navas at the beginning of the 17th century, and three of them had to be attached together in order to establish the museum, even though Cervantes ’ family only lived in a room of one of those houses.
On the current day, they are brick houses full of windows and balconies. Furthermore, in the garden the remains of the Resurreción Hospital were placed, which, at Cervantes’ time, was close to his house and he used as the setting of one of his novels named “El coloquio de los perros.”
But the story of these houses started in 1600, when Philip III’s court moved to Valladolid for six years, which significantly helped the city both financially and culturally. However, there were not a lot of houses, hence, in 1602, five pairs of houses started to be constructed in Acera del Rastro, and Cervantes lived in one of them. Whilst living there, Cervantes and his family were accidentally involved in a murder for which he was arrested, but was eventually released.
Years later, the house was forgotten and about to be demolished but this could be avoided thanks to Marquess of Vega Inclán, a great patron, who restored the house thanks to Alphonse XIII and Archer Milton Huntington, president of the Hispanic Society of New York; whose busts can be seen in the garden. That way, the house where Cervantes wrote his biggest novels, such as “El coloquio de los perros», “El casamiento engañoso»,“La ilustre fregona», or “El licenciado vidriera», could be turned into a museum.
In 2005, on the occasion of the forth centenary of Don Quixote’ first edition, the house and garden were restored.
Part of the building is the headquarter of Real Academia de Bellas Artes and the museum is linked to the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Moreover, it offers tribute to Cervantes every April 23rd.
