Nobody knows for certain where Cervantes is buried?

Go figure. Miguel de Cervantes--Spain's answer to England's Shakespeare, and most famously the creator of Dox Quixote and the first modern novel--was apparently buried without anyone knowing exactly where.

The belief is that Cervantes is buried somewhere in the walls or foundation of the Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians, where a dozen nuns ranging in age from 23 to 92 live. The next logical question is why would Cervantes be buried in a convent? Because those same nuns helped negotiate his freedom when Cervantes, as a member of the Spanish navy, was kidnapped by pirates and held captive for five years. On his death bed, Cervantes wish was to be buried with the Trinitarians.

Fast forward 400 years, and no one is exactly certain where in the convent Cervantes is buried--if at all.

The convent's secretary, Maria Jose, tells NPR, "For 400 years, we have kept Cervantes' last dying wish, to be buried here. We have passed down the memory of the documents that registered his burial here, even though the documents themselves have all since been lost."

"Memory of documents" isn't the most helpful arrangement, so now scientists are utilizing ground-penetrating radar to find the body, using Cervantes own detailed history of his physical ailments, gunshots, and general wounds to identify the body. (After all, Cervantes had a rough go of it in the navy. He was shot in the chest twice alone.) If found, an excavation might occur, although ultimately the plan is to keep his body with the Trinitarians.

For that, Cervantes' dying wish remains.