Cervantes' Don Quixote is such a universal icon, especially in Spain, that visual representations of this famous literary figure appear in various locations and in various forms. The following photographs, taken in several locations throughout Spain and reproduced below, reveal just a sampling of the interest in visually reproducing Cervantes' hero throughout the Iberian Peninsula.

This "triptych" of photos shows various perspectives of the Don Quixote Monument in the Plaza de España, located in the heart of Madrid. The left-hand image shows Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on Rocinante and Dapple, respectively, facing a reflecting pool, with Cervantes, sculpted in white marble, seated behind them. In the background, an imposing office-apartment building constructed during the Franco era looms somewhat menacingly above the monument but creates an impressive backdrop to the scene. The middle image depicts the bronze pairing of Don Quixote and Sancho from the side, while the right-hand photo reveals a literally pedestalized La Dulcinea, seated on the opposite side of the monument from Cervantes, with a circular fountain in the foreground to balance the reflecting pool.

As one might expect, south of Madrid, in the extensive La Mancha area, numerous visual reminders of Cervantes' classic characters appear. These preserved windmills remind tourists and other visitors to the region of the single most famous episode in Don Quixote, in which Cervantes made fictive use of one of these mechanical giants that must have dotted the region during his time.

The town of Puerto Lápice, which is located in the heart of La Mancha, has exploited the Don Quixote legend to the hilt with its major tourist attractions focused on the Hidalgo, such as the images shown above, taken from the Venta del Quixote, a popular tourist attraction in Puerto Lápice.

This final group of three paintings was discovered decorating the paneled walls of a roadside stop on the freeway between Córdoba and Madrid. As creations of an anonymous local artist, they further attest to the popularity of the Don Quixote icon throughout Spain on the popular level.