This passage paints a hauntingly evocative picture of a city steeped in centuries of stagnation, enveloped in a metaphorical lethargy that seems almost tangible. The 'marasmo de siglos' illustrates the heavy weight of historical inertia pressing down on the city's spirit and its inhabitants. Within this atmosphere, the 'uncertain knight' emerges — an enigmatic figure characterized by austerity ('taffetanes de luto') and ambiguity. His sorrowful carriage departing the fortified enclosure implies a journey beyond familiar boundaries, perhaps reflecting a quest for meaning, transformation, or escape from the confines of the past. The choice of 'San Lázaro', a symbolic hill often associated with themes of resurrection and healing, deepens this imagery. It might suggest hope for renewal amid decay or a confrontation with the city's own spectral history. García Márquez masterfully blends a physical landscape with metaphorical resonance here, constructing an interplay between place, time, and human emotion. The fleeting eyes and sallow face heighten the sense of impermanence and uncertainty, evoking the fragile permeability between memory and present experience. Overall, this fragment serves as a poetic meditation on decay, memory, and the aspiration to transcend stasis. It invites readers to consider how people and places carry the burdens of history and yet sometimes glimpse possibilities for change—even when enveloped in pervasive gloom. The fluid narrative tone and rich symbolism hallmark García Márquez’s ability to fuse magical realism with profound reflections on human conditions.