Miguel de Cervantes' baptismal certificateOn page 21 of the baptismal book of St. Mary Parish Church in Alcázar de San Juan, corresponding to the period 1556-1635, can be found the true baptismal certificate of the distinguished writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The text that can be read is the following:
In Spanish: "En nuebe días del mes de nobiembre de mil quinientos y cincuenta y ocho baptizó el Rdo.
Señor Alº Díaz Pajares un hijo de Blas de Cervantes Sabedra y de Catalina López que le puso (de)
nombre Miguel, fue su padrino de pila (...) de Ortega, acompañados (de) Juan de Quirós y Francisco
Almendros y las mujeres de los dichos." On the left margin: "este fue
el autor de la Historia de don Quixote".
Translation into English: "On November 9th 1558 Reverend Alº Díaz Pajares christened a son of Blas de Cervantes Sabedra and Catalina López which was named Miguel, was his godfather (...) of Ortega, accompanied by Juan de Quirós and Francisco Almendros and their wives." (On the left margin, with a different handwritting it can be read the following: "This was the the author of the story of Don Quixote", this reference is attributed to Blas Antonio Nasarre y Férriz1). 
Click to enlarge Miguel de Cervantes' baptismal certificate. 
Click to enlarge the baptismal font located at St. Mary Parish Church of in Alcázar de San Juan, where Miguel de Cervantes was christened. 
Click for more information about the Archive of the Parish Church of St. Mary, where the famouse Cervantes' baptismal certificate is kept. 
Click to enlarge the cover of the First Book of Baptism of the St. Mary Parish Church, where you can find the baptismal certificates of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and his brothers Tomás, Leonor and Francisco. 1 Blas Antonio Nasarre y Férriz, King's Major Librarian and Member of the Spanish Royal Academy in Philip V's times. |