Famous Spanish people. List of famous people from Spain: Artists, Musicians, Politicians...
There is a category of people who changed the past, shaped the modern world and build the future! They are the greatest achievers and the most influential people worldwide. There are many Spanish celebrities, writers and philosophers, singers and actors, world famous composers, politicians, who made a great contribution to the development of our civilization. They are simply remarkable persons who have one thing in common: are not easy to stereotype. These people of purpose made a difference in our world, because they excelled in their field of expertise. We are happy to present to you some brief stories of notable Spanish people who inspired the world.
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Famous Spanish people
Miguel de Cervantes
“Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn.”
Miguel de Cervantes, the originator of the modern novel, is considered to be one of the greatest figures of both Spanish and world literature, the Shakespeare of Spanish letters. Cervantes was a novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote is believed by many to be a classic of Western literature and is regularly regarded among the best novels ever written. Don Quixote is a universal character that appeals to all cultures and languages. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great, that Spanish is often named la lengua de Cervantes: The language of Cervantes.
El Cid
Rodrigo (Ruy) Díaz de Vivar known as El Cid (The Lord), was a Spanish knight from the Early Middle Ages, a Castilian nobleman, a notable military leader, diplomat, who, after being exiled, conquered and governed the city of Valencia. El Cid displayed remarkable military ability in his conquest of Valencia. His most valuable asset in the fight against the Moors. El Cid fought the Moorish invaders who were trying to turn Spain into a Muslim country. The Spanish national hero gained a reputation for defeating superior opponents against overwhelming odds and became the subject of many legends, stories, and poems. El Cid continues to be celebrated as the embodiment of chivalry and virtue.
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Santiago Cajal was a famous Spanish neuroanatomist, histologist, physician, and Nobel laureate “in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system”. He establishing the neuron, or nerve cell, as the basic unit of nervous structure. His pioneering investigations of the microscopic structure of the brain were so original and influential that he is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience.
Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias is the Spanish all-time master of the romance ballad singer who has sold over 300 million albums in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music he is one of the top 10 best selling music artist ever. Each live performance by Iglesias is a celebration of music.
His success has continued as he crossed musical and linguistic barriers being one of the most influential artists of the last 4 decades. In 1983 the Guiness Book of World Records handed him the Diamond Record Award to recognize that he had recorded more records in more languages than any singer in history.
Pablo Picasso
"Art is the lie that tells the truth."
Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic and ceramic artist Pablo Picasso is considered one of the most dynamic and influential artists of the 20th century, because he revolutionized the art and his lifelong creative invention repeatedly changed the course of visual thinking.
An inventor of forms and an innovator of techniques, Picasso is the founder of the Cubism movement, the father of modern art. A man of grand passion, Pablo Picasso created more than 20,000 works. Among his most famous works are the: Mujer en Azul (1901), Child with a Dove (1901), Les Demoiselles D'Avignon (1907), Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper (1913).
Penelope Cruz
Penelope Cruz, one of Spain's foremost leading ladies of the 1990s, has managed to gather also international acclaim as a very talented actress in films such as Jamón, Jamón, La Niña de tus ojos, Belle époque, Blow, Vanilla Sky, and Bandidas. She is the first Spanish actress ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Pedro Almodóvar's 2006 Spanish film Volver.
Plácido Domingo
Placido Domingo is one of the most loved, respected and listened opera singers of the 20th century alongside Pavarotti and Jose Carreras. He is a regular guest of the world's greatest opera houses, including La Scala Milan, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera. Placido Domingo, a world-class performer who crosses both cultural and geographical boundaries, has gained international renown for his portrayals of such roles as Cavaradossi, Des Grieux, Radames, Don Carlo, Otello, Don Jose, Hoffmann, Canio, and Samson.
Fernando Alonso
Is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion. He won the World Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 being the youngest World Drivers' Champion.
Salvador Dali
Flamboyant Spanish artist Salvador Dali is considered one of the 20th century’s greatest artists and an icon of the Surrealist art scene. Greatly imaginative, Dalí produced 1,500 paintings, along with sculptures, drawings, films, clothing and jewelry. Dali was inspired by Freund and accessed his subconscious to create more intense artistic expression. The Persistance of Memory, with the soft or melting watches is still one of the best-known surrealist works. It epitomizes Dalí's theory of 'softness' and 'hardness', which was central to his thinking at the time. The painting suggests Einstein's theory that time is relative and not fixed.
Manolo Blahnik
Living fashion icon Manolo Blahnik is is one of the most prominent shoe designers in the world, the epitome of luxury footwear, the king of sassy, sophisticated and chic shoes. All superlatives are justified for Manolo Blahnik. He is considered the Michelangelo of shoes. „The exclusivity, handcraftsmanship, high style, and wild popularity of Blahnik's shoes have raised the Spanish-born, London-based cobbler to mythic proportions