While Cervantes’ house has long been demolished, we can get a pretty good idea of how he lived by visiting the house of his neighbor and fellow renowned writer, Lope de Vega. A bit of a rogue, the playwright had numerous dalliances during his lifetime and the free tour in English will clue you in on some juicy 17th-century gossip. You must reserve in advance via the website to enter, though the tranquil garden is accessible at all times.
Scandalously, he shared the house, where he lived and wrote for 25 years until his death in 1635, with a mistress and four children by three different women; Lope de Vega’s house was a typical casa de malicia (house of ill repute).
