Born in Cabra (Córdoba), the son of the Marqués de la Paniega, Juan Valera studied Philosophy and Law in Granada. His diplomatic career began in 1847 and spanned over five decades, taking him across Europe and America. Postings in Naples, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Dresden, St. Petersburg, and Vienna profoundly shaped his writing. Although he published poetry and essays early on, he didn't achieve literary fame until relatively late in life: his breakthrough novel, Pepita Jiménez, appeared when he was 50 (1874). He also served in politics as a liberal member of parliament (1858, 1872) and as an Undersecretary of State. After losing nearly all his eyesight in 1895, he dictated his later works, including the adventure novel Morsamor (1899). He hosted an influential literary salon in Madrid until his death in 1905, attended by leading figures like Menéndez Pelayo and Ramón Pérez de Ayala.