Datos para una biografía del Duende Crítico de Madrid [Data for the Duende Crítico of Madrid’s biography]

Abstract

Historians have practically ignored the biography of Fr. Manuel de San José, known as the Duende Crítico of Madrid. They focussed rather on the Duende’s famous papers, drawing their conclusions on the first Bourbon’s politics in the XVIII century, from the beginning of the satirical press in Spain and the successful spreading of unauthorized manuscripts. This article presents the novelty of exposing some documents of the General Archives of Navarra: The taking on of the Carmelite habit in Pamplona and the testament or waiver prior to the religious profession. These manuscripts reveal his father’s personality and help us investigate some unknown moments of Duende’s life, such as his time in the Bastille prison, just before his novitiate in Pamplona. Other information on Duende’s life right until his death can be found in the notes of the Italian Carmelites of Tuscany’s archives.