The bronze statue by sculptor José Villa Soberón was erected in 2001. It depicts a humbly dressed José María López Lledín with rolls of paper under his arm, walking on the sidewalk in front of the basilica and monastery of San Francisco de Asis in Havana, Cuba.
El Caballero de París was not a character of the French aristocracy but rather a dreamer who walked the streets of Havana for many years weaving dreams and telling stories for those with the patience and wisdom to listen to him.
He was of medium height, sported long unkempt hair and beard. His fingernails were long and twisted from not being cut in many years. He always wore a black suit and cloak, even in the hottest summer days. He always carried a portfolio with papers and a bag in which he carried his belongings.
José María López LLedín was his real name. He was born on December 30, 1899 in the town of Vilaseca, Spain. His parents owned a small villa with vineyards where they produced wine and spirits. He first went to school at age seven and completed half of his secondary education.
He arrived in Havana on December 10, 1913 aboard the German steamship “Chemnitz.” He was united with his uncle and his sister Inocencia, who had previously arrived in Cuba in 1910. Like many other immigrants, the young José María had come to Cuba seeking the opportunity to make a fortune and worked in various trades. During his stay at his uncle’s, he worked briefly in a grocery store until he left his uncle’s home to follow his own destiny. He worked in many different jobs, including a flower shop, a tailor’s shop, a book store and a lawyer’s office. Meanwhile, he studied and refined his manners looking to find better-paying jobs, which he did, as a restaurant waiter.
In the last years of his life, El Caballero confessed to his biographer that he had never married, but had a son and a daughter by a woman who had been secretary to the head of a sugar company. He added that his son lived in Marianao and worked in radio, and that the mother and daughter had left Cuba.
Many years after his death, the actual reason why he lost his mind is still unknown. Most reports, however, agree that José lost his mind when he was imprisoned unjustly for a crime he had not committed. This was corroborated by his nephew Manuel. He was arrested in late 1920 and sent to the prison at El Castillo del Principe in Havana. Several sources assure that while in prison, he learned the art of making quill pens and that he would give speeches, introducing himself to the other inmates as Pope, King or Caballero.
When he was released from prison, he began to wander the streets of Havana. Concerned for both his physical and mental health, the family got together to discuss what they could do to help José. They decided to return him to his native town to live with his parents. When José learned their decision, he became agitated and threatened to jump off the ship and kill himself if they tried to send him back to Spain. The family soon desisted in their efforts, and they and José became further estranged.
The origin of his nickname, “El Caballero de París,” is also uncertain. He once told his biographer that he got his name from a French novel. Another time he claimed that people started calling him “El Caballero” at “La Acera del Louvre,” a stretch of sidewalk on the Paseo del Prado where the hotels Inglaterra and Telégrafo are located, and where he had once worked.
The truth is that this man became a beloved character and an everyday presence on the streets of Havana for more than four decades. He was a gentle and kindhearted man who could appear anywhere unexpectedly. Despite his outward and unkempt appearance, no one avoided his presence or was afraid of him, including children.
Sometimes he slept on a bench at Parque Central. At times, he would settle on some corner for months, like the corner of San Lázaro and Infanta Streets near the University of Havana or the corner of 12th and 23rd Streets in El Vedado. He would walk the streets and ride buses throughout Havana, greeting everyone and discussing his philosophy of life, religion, politics and the day’s events with everyone who crossed his path.
The Gentleman from Paris was kind, respectful and honorable. He did not accept alms and when he gave his approval to some “help,” he would repay the kindness with pens or pencils decorated with strings of different colors or cards made by him.
On December 7, 1977, doctors at the Havana Psychiatric Hospital managed to convince him that he needed to be hospitalized. The main reason for his internment was not that he was threatening to anyone, but because of his deplorable and deteriorating physical condition. There he was bathed and his hair thoroughly cleaned and made into a long braid. The diagnosis from his psychatrist was that he suffered from paraphrenia, sometimes considered a form of schizophrenia. However, he did not suffer from hallucinations.
During his stay in Mazorra, he received many affections of love from the staff, the same love that he had always received from the people in the street. He was interviewed many times for radio and television, and viewers were able to see a smiling and happy Caballero, whose long beard and hair, and attire had been respected.
He died in Mazorra on July 11, 1985 at the age of 86. He was initially buried in the cemetery of Santiago de las Vegas in Havana, but his remains were later exhumed by Dr. Eusebio Leal, the Historian of the City of Havana, and transferred to the convent of San Francisco de Asis, his current resting place.
Dozens of legends still surround his person. He has been inspiration to artists, writers, filmmakers, playwrights. Dr. Luis Calzadilla, his doctor at Mazorra Hospital, wrote his biography.
The Gentleman from Paris is an enigmatic and unique character in the world, for it is rare that a vagabond, and on top of that insane, is honored. Outside his resting place stands a bronze statue of Caballero de París. His beard and fingers are shiny because everyone that passes by touch these two spots for luck. He belongs to Havana like the Malecón or the Capitolio or Paseo del Prado.
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