La Galatea

Galatea in an illustration of Cecilio Pla

Galatea is a novel of Miguel de Cervantes published in 1585 in Alcalá de Henares with the title of First part of Galatea, divided in six books. Ascanio Colonna Is the dedicatario of Galatea, the one who in the decade of 1580 found completing his studies in two Spanish colleges: the University of Alcalá and the University of Salamanca.

The novel began probably to draft when Cervantes went back of his captivity in Algiers (December of 1580). Had little success in the bookshops, especially, if it compares with the great of the Target of Montemayor and the grandísimo of the enamoured Target of Gil Polo. Cervantes had during all his life a very high concept of his novel and the intention to publish the second part, but died without having it done.