José María López Lledín

The Knight of Paris was a well-known street person in Havana around the 1950s. He was of medium height, less than 6 feet. He had disheveled hair, dark brown, with some gray and wore a beard. His nails were long and twisted from not having been cut in many years. He always dressed in black, with a cape also black, even in the heat of summer. He always carried a portfolio of papers and a bag where he carried his belongings.

He was a gentle man who could appear anywhere at the most unexpected moment, although he visited many places regularly. He would walk through the streets and travel on the "guaguas" (buses) all over Havana, greeting everyone and discussing the philosophy of his life, religion, politics and the events of the day with everyone who crossed his path. He was frequently found on the Paseo del Prado, on the Avenida del Puerto, in a park near the "Plaza de Armas"; near the Church of Paula; and in Central Park, where he sometimes slept on one of the benches; on Muralla Street; near Infanta and San Lazaro; and on the corner of 12 and 23 in El Vedado. I also remember him walking through the park in the center of Fifth Avenue in Miramar, where he used to be in the afternoons.

He was an educated and fluent speaker. Many remember the times they chatted with him. He never asked for alms nor did he say bad words. He only accepted money from people he knew, to whom in turn he gave a gift, which could be a card colored by him or a stub of a pen or pencil chalked with threads of different colors, a pencil sharpener, or similar object. He frequently gave change to those who gave him money. Although children initially feared him because of his appearance, they soon lost their fear and chatted with him. Everyone, both adults and children, spoke to him with great respect.

He was born in Spain in the home of his parents, in the village of Vilaseca, in the municipality of Fonsagrada, province of Lugo. His father was Manuel López Rodríguez, 30 years old, also born in Vilaseca, and his mother Josefa Lledin Mendez, 30 years old, born in Negueira in the same municipality and province. His paternal grandparents were Bernabé López and Manuela Rodríguez, both previously deceased. His maternal grandparents were Manuel Lledín and Francisca Méndez, both living at the time of his birth. His parents had a small villa with vineyards where they produced wines and brandy.

He was baptized in the Parish of Salvador de Negueira. He began his primary education at age 7 in that village and managed to complete half of his secondary education. One report indicates that the Knight was the fourth of 8 siblings. Another says there were 11 children in the family, of which 2 had died and 7 emigrated to Cuba.

According to his sister Inocencia, José fell in love with Merceditas, the daughter of a doctor from Fonsagrada. She died young and José was at her side when she died. The day she died, José swore he would never marry and always kept his promise.

According to the entry document (National Archive - Passenger Entry Register in 1913 - Folio 283), José María López Lledín arrived in Havana on December 10, 1913 at the age of 12 aboard the German steamer "Chemnitz". There he reunited with his uncle (called AG, a brother-in-law of his brother Benigno) and with his sister Inocencia, who had arrived in Cuba in 1910. For a brief period José worked in the cellar of another Galician on Genios Street, until he left his uncle's house to follow his own destiny. Jose worked as manager in a flower shop, as a tailor, in a bookstore and in a law office. He studied and refined his mannerisms to obtain better employment and managed to get better-paying jobs working as a restaurant server in the hotels "Inglaterra", "Telegrafo", "Sevilla", "Manhattan", "Royal Palm", "Salon A" and "Saratoga". According to his cousin Julio he came to speak some English.

He never married, but he had a son and a daughter with a woman who was secretary of a sugar company.

José lost his reason and became "The Knight" when he was arrested in 1920 and sent to the "Castillo del Príncipe" prison in Havana, for a crime he had not committed. What has not been determined is what crime he was accused of, and how long he was imprisoned. It is reported that during his stay in prison he learned the art of making elegant writing pens from bird feathers (the old calligraphy pens). Some say that in prison he made speeches where he presented himself as Pope, King or Knight.

When he began to wander through the streets of Havana, his family gathered to see what could be done to help him. The family decided that the best thing would be for him to return to his native town to live with his parents. When they communicated this decision to "The Knight", he became extremely upset and said that if they sent him to Spain, he would kill himself by throwing himself into the sea. The family abandoned these efforts, but the result was that "The Knight" and his family became more distant.

"The Knight" was always somewhat evasive about the origin of his nickname. Once he told his biographer that he had obtained the nickname from a French novel. Another time he told him that people began calling him "The Knight" on the "Acera del Louvre", the sidewalk of the Paseo del Prado where three hotels were located, including the "Inglaterra" where he had worked. Perhaps in his mind the "Acera del Louvre" equaled Paris. He said that Havana was "very Parisian" and that he was "Musketeer, Corsair and Knight of Lagardiere". He also said that "Paris is well known in Havana" and that "many Cubans became famous in Paris, such as Marta and Rosalia Abreu of Santa Clara".

Others tell that at one time he worked in the "Paris" restaurant and when one day he returned saying he was a "Knight" and "King" the customers began to refer to him as "Knight of Paris". Others say it was due to the French style of his clothing that he wore during his walks. Still others say that the nickname was given to him by the humorous weekly "Zig Zag".

"The Knight" walked through the streets of Havana and its neighborhoods for many years. Everyone who lived in that era in Havana has a favorite anecdote about "The Knight". At the beginning of his wanderings, The Knight kept himself neat and well-dressed, he never traveled outside the limits of Havana after beginning his mental illness. He was arrested several times and once, or perhaps twice, was bathed and his hair completely shaved, but the public reaction when the event was reported in the press caused his immediate release. In 1941 he was briefly admitted to the Mazorra Mental Hospital, but was released immediately by presidential order.

In his last years he spent much time on the corner of 12 and 23 in El Vedado, where there were several pizza establishments that gave him free food.

On December 7, 1977, "The Knight" was admitted to the Cuba Psychiatric Hospital in Mazorra, on the outskirts of Havana, as a humanitarian act. The fundamental reason for his admission was not that he threatened anyone, but his deplorable physical state and his physical and nutritional deterioration. There he was bathed and his hair was cleaned and arranged in the form of a long braid. He was provided with clean clothes, including a black suit like he used to wear, and abundant food. During his stay in Mazorra he underwent physical examinations, laboratory and psychological exams, and also suffered a hip fracture from a fall. The diagnosis of his psychiatrist, Dr. Cazadilla, is that he suffered from paraphrenia, sometimes considered a form of schizophrenia. He did not suffer from hallucinations.

He died at 1:45 a.m. on July 11, 1985 at the age of 86. Initially, he was buried in the Santiago de las Vegas cemetery in Havana. According to the Agence France Presse article, his remains were exhumed by Eusebio Leal, the historian of the City of Havana, and transferred to the convent of San Francisco de Asís (now a concert hall and museum), his present place of rest.