After a normal childhood, he became well known in his district for courting the ladies and hismeetings with his rough friends.

When his father died, having managed to send his son to study at San Isidro Institute, he became fed up with his life of obedience and submission. A little later his mother died, but they weren't mourned for long. He inherited 62.000 reales.

With this, Candelas started to create havoc in High Society. At the same time keeping up his contacts with friends from less salubrious backgrounds. He looks and easy going character, his particular way of dressing: a turquoise blue waistcoat, Mahon trousers,a cummerbund and Adausian hat with a turned up brim drawn low over his eyes, attracted women from diferent tyes of society. From Princesses to the typical girls in Madrid from humble origins called "Manolas".

In 1827, he married Manuela Sánchez, in the SanCayetano church and they left for Zamora, there, he abandoned his wife and returned to Madrid.

A civil war was declared between the Absolutist and Republicans and Luis Candelas began his life of bribary and corruption.

As a result of various robberies he was imprisoned. On his card said "Luis Candelas Cagigal, 21 years old, married, born in Madrid, professional thief, average height, straight black hair, dark eyes, big mouth an prominent chin, even teeth, robust stature. He wasn't". Hee wasn't in rpision for long, he had influences both inside and outside of prison.

Then the bandit started to make new plans, he decided to have a dual personality. He would be as well Luis Candelas, Don Luis Alvarez de Cobos, a rich landowner in Perú. He bought a flat in Calle Tudescos with hidden exit leading on to small side street. Thought the main entrance he would go out as the Peruvian an trought falso exit, th bandit. As the handsome landowner he became seen in seen in hight society, where he soon became known for his intelligence and good manners.

Meanwhiel Luis Candelas stole from establishments, held up stage coaches, helping the poor with the stolen money. His favourite weapons were crowbar, picklock, a carpentr's brace, a saw, a torch and more than two pistols that he used to frighten the people and special knife that was called "gaupin".

As he had meet often with his men, he found two premises, one tavern in the Calle Imperial an the other in the Arco Cuchilleros. This was a shop that bought and sold things that it was not permited too. This was the real hide-out of Candelas. Las Cuevas today still conserves its singularity and charcter from the past, Las Cuevas is even older than the Aaustria's epcoh. It has narrowand gloomy passages running under the Plaza Mayor which hold the secrets that were kept long ago by the Bandit.

During that time as well as leading a life of villainy and robbery, he was courting in his free time Lola "La Naranjera" and as Luis Alvarez Cobos, so as not to get too bored, Maria del Pilar, an aristocrat, whom he admired deeply, paricuraly for her kindness beauty, During those years he was imprisioned many times and escaped. As Don Luis Alvarez de Cobos, he met Clarita, a well born woman who captivated him.

After one of his more audacious robberies, there were complications. The Spanish Armed Froces had an order out to arrest him and kill him if he offered resitence.

He confessed his true identity to his loved one who was bitterly disillusioned, but their love fro one another overcame this problemabd they both decided to go to Gijon, as things were'nt going to weel in Madrid.

He didn't tell her the real reason for going there, but on arrival he told her of his decision to teke a boat to London. She refused an they returned to Madrid inspite of this being arisk to Candela's life. During they return journey he was caught. It was the 18th July 1837.

His death sentence was made public, but the bandit recives this news impassively. He was executed from the scaffold installed in the Puerta de Toledo.

A large crowd from Madrid was there to watch the execution, especially as he was such as well known person. He was allowed before dying yo addres the public and he turned to them and said thes words.

BE HAPPY MY COUNTRY