The neighborhood that today we call The letters, in the time of Cervantes it was called Muses It was the favorite area of ​​Madrid for writers, actors and actresses of the 17th century to live. We know that Miguel de Cervantes He lived in Madrid in different locations. In 1567 he was already a resident of this city and attended classes at the Villa Studio whose director was the teacher John Lopez de Hoyos.

In 1608 Cervantes returned to Madrid after his stay in Valladolid where he had settled for six years following the court of Philip III, that dark time in which Madrid lost its capital status due to the tricks of the Duke of Lerma, a precursor of endless corruption who today could be the patron of Gurtel and other plots that have devastated our country since ancient times. He settled in the Atocha neighborhood; He lived there in February of that same year. In 1609 he moved to Magdalena Street and later to Lion Street, (formerly Calle del Mentidero). In 1612 he moved to Calle de las Huertas, then to the Plazuela de Matute and later returned to Calle del León, on the corner of Calle de Francos. Cervantes died in this house.

He died in 1616, and his last wish was to be buried in the crypt of the church of San Ildefonso del convent of the Trinitarian nuns. Cervantes had the order of the Trinitarians very much in mind; the religious of this order raised funds and acted as intermediaries for his release when he was imprisoned in Algiers. One of his daughters had also professed as a nun in said convent. This is where almost 400 years later his remains appear to have been found.

In 1833, the owner, Luis Franco, decided to demolish the house to build a new one. On April 23 of that same year,  Ramon de Mesonero Romanos he wrote in the only literary newspaper of the time (The Spanish Magazine) an article in memory of Cervantes and referring to the demolition. The article came to the attention of the king Ferdinand VII who proposed that the works be suspended and that the State buy the property. But Luis Franco did not give up his efforts and the house was demolished. Once the work was finished, with a new entrance, no longer on León Street but on Francos Street, a relief with the bust of Cervantes and an inscription remembering his stay and death in that place was placed on the façade.

Not long after, the name of Calle de Francos was changed to the current Calle de Cervantes.

A abrazo.