Juan de la Cuesta facts for kids
Juan de la Cuesta (who lived until 1627) was a famous Spanish printer. He is best known for printing the very first copies of some of Spain's most important books. These include Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, which came out in 1605. He also printed Cervantes' Novelas ejemplares in 1613. Besides Cervantes, he printed books for other great writers of the time, like Lope de Vega. This period is often called Spain's Golden Age because of all the amazing art and literature created.
Contents
Juan de la Cuesta's Printing Career
Juan de la Cuesta's journey as a printer began in different places. He might have worked in Segovia at some point. There was also a printer named Juan de la Cuesta in Alcalá de Henares in 1589. However, we know for sure that he started working in Madrid in 1599.
Taking Over a Printing Shop
In Madrid, Juan de la Cuesta became the manager of a printing shop. This shop was owned by María Rodríguez de Rivalde. She was the widow of two earlier printers, Juan Íñiguez de Lequerica and Pedro Madrigal.
A few years before Cuesta took over, in 1595, an inventory of the shop was made. It showed that the shop had six printing presses. By 1604, the year they started printing Don Quixote, the shop had twenty employees. This shows it was a very busy and important place!
Family Life and Legacy
In 1604, Juan de la Cuesta married María de Quiñones. A few years later, in 1607, he left Madrid. His wife, María, was pregnant at the time. After Juan de la Cuesta passed away, María de Quiñones took over the printing business. She became a very important printer herself.
The Historic Print Shop Today
Juan de la Cuesta's original print shop was located at 87 Calle Atocha in Madrid. This historic building has been carefully restored. Today, it is the headquarters of the Sociedad Cervantina. This organization was founded in 1953 by Luis Astrana Marín.
The building now has a replica of the kind of printing press Juan de la Cuesta would have used. It was officially opened as a museum in 1987 by the King and Queen of Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de la Cuesta (impresor) para niños
