RIZAL’S FIRST TRIP TO SPAIN

CHAPTER 6

 Spain
- It was a constitutional monarchy
 Rizal’s Secret Mission
- To observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce and
governments and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of
liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny.
 Secret Departure for Spain
- He uses the name Jose Mercado, a cousin from Binan
- Before he left, he wrote farewell letter for his mother and Leonora Rivera.
- May 3, 1882 > He departed on board the Spanish streamer Salvadora bound to Singapore.
 Singapore
- Donato Lecha > ship captain, befriended him
- May 9, 1882 > Rizal landed, registered at Hotel de la Paz, and spent two days on a sightseeing
soiree of the city which was a colony of England.
 From Singapore to Colombo
- May 11, 1882 > From Singapore, he transferred to another ship Djemnah on his way to Europe.
- May 17, 1882 > the Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacost town in southern Ceylon (Sri Lanka),
“The general appearance of Point Galle is picturesque but lonely and quiet and at the same time
sad”.
- “Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point Galle and Manila”
 First Trip to Suez Canal
- It took Djemnah to cross the Suez Canal ( built by Ferdinand de Lesseps – November 17, 1869)
 Naples and Marseilles
- June 11, 1882 > rizal reached Naples
- June 12, 1882 > the streamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles and visited Chateau d’lf
 Barcelona
- June 15 > Rizal left Marseilles by the train for the last lap of his trip to Spain.
- June 16 > he reached Barcelona
- He thought that Barcelona was ugly, with dirty little inns and inhospitable residents, because he
happened to stay upon his arrival at the dingy inn situated on an unimpressive narrow street in
the “town’s most ugly side” but he found it to be a really great city, with an atmosphere of
freedom, liberalism, and its people were open-hearted, hospitable and courageous.
 “Amor Patrio”
- Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay entitled “Amor Patrio” (Love of Country), his first article written in
Spain’s soil.
- He sent this article in Manila.
- Basilio Teodoro Moran > publisher of Diariong Tagalog, the first Manila bilingual newspaper
(Spanish-Tagalog)
 - August 20, 1882 > Rizal’s article appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog under his pen – name Laong
Laan.
- Marcelo H. Del Pilar > translated the article to Tagalog.
- “Los Viajes” (Travels); “Revista de Madrid” (Review of Madrid) written on November 29, 1882.
 Manila Moves to Madrid
- Cholera > in the Philippines, many people had died.
- September 15, 1882 > Paciano send letter to Rizal about the situation in Calamba
 Life in Madrid
- November 3, 1882 > Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid in two courses – Medicine
and Philosophy and Letters.
 Romance with Consuelo Ortiga y Perez
- Consuelo Ortiga y Perez > daughter of Don Pablo fell in love with Rizal.
- August 22, 1883 > wrote a poem dedicated to her entitled A La Senorita C.O.y.P
- He backed out for two reasons:
 He was still engaged to Leonor Rivera
 His friend and co-woeker in the Propaganda Movement, Eduardo de Lete, was madly inn
love with Consuelo and he had no wish to break their friendship because of a pretty girl.
 They Ask Me For Verses
- 1882 > Rizal joined the Circulo hispano – Filipino, a society of Spaniards and Filipinos.
- He wrote a poem entitled “Me Piden Versos” – which personally declaimed during the New Year’s
Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos, held in the evening of December 31, 1882.
 Rizal’s First Visit to Paris
- During his first vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris in France from June 17 to August 20, 1883
- He was billeted at the Hotel de Paris on 37 Rue de Maubange and later moved to a cheaper hotel
on 124 Rue de Renned in Latin Quarter.
- Like all tourist, Rizal was charmingly titillated by the attractive sights of Paris, he enjoyed himself in
night clubs and theaters, and shop for souvenir items.
- He also observed the examination of different diseases of women.
 Rizal as a Mason
- Rizal came in close contact with prominent Spanish liberal and republican Spaniards, who were
mostly Masons.

Rizal was impressed by the way the Spaniards Masons openly and freely criticized the government
policies and lambasted the friars, which could not be done in the Philippines.

- March 1883> Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid. His reason for becoming a
mason was to secure Freemansory’s aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines.
- Later he transferred to Lodge Solidaridad (Madrid), where he became a Master Mason on
November 15, 1890.
- February 15, 1892> he was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in
Paris.
 Financial Worries
- The harvest of rice and sugarcane failed on account of drought and locust.
- The manager of the Dominican-owned hacienda increased the rentals of the lands cultivated by
the Rizal family. He also used to ask for a turkey from Don Francisco who was a good raiser of
turkeys.
- But there came a time when a dreadful pest killed most of the turkeys, so Don Francisco had to
deny him because he needed the few surviving turkeys for breeding purpose.
- Due to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances of Rizal in Madrid were late in arrivaland
there were times when they never arrived, causing much suffering to him.
- A touching incident in Rizal’s life in Madrid occurred on June 1884. Because he was broke, he was
unable to take breakfast that day. With an empty stomach, he attended his class at the university,
participated in the contest in Greek language and won gold medal.
- In the evening of the same day he was able to eat dinner, for he was a guest speaker in a banquet
held in honor of Juan Luna and Felix Ressureccion Hidalgo at Restaurant.
 Rizal’s Salute to Luna and Hidalgo
- The banquet on the evening of June 25, 1884 was sponsored by the Filipino community to
celebrate the double victory of the Filipino artist in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid-
Luna’s Spolarium winning the first prize and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace,
second prize.
 Rizal involved in Student Demonstrations
- November 20, 21, 22 1884, the serene city of Madrid exploded in bloody riots by the students of
the Central University.
- November 20 Dr. Miguel Morayta, professor history, at the opening ceremonies of the academic
year he proclaimed “the freedom of science and teacher”.
- Such a liberal view was condemned by the Catholic bishops of Spain, who promptly
excommunicated Dr. Morayta and those who applauded his speech.
- The university students rose in violent demonstration. The polica and the army troopers tried to
suppress the angry students, but in vain. Bloody fights raged in the university buildings in the city
streets.
 Studies Completed in Spain
- Rizal completed his medical course in Spain. He was conferred the degree of Licentiate in
Medicine by the Universidad Centra de Madrid on June 21, 1884.
- The next academic year (1884-85) he studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of
Doctor in Medicine.
- Due to the fact, however, that he did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paoid the
corresponding fees, he was not awarded hi Doctor’s diploma.
- Rizal also finished his study in philosophy and Letters, with higher grades. He was awarded the
degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid on JUNE
19.1885 (his 24th birthday), with the rating of “excellent” (Sobresaliente)
 PARIS TO BERLIN

 Went to Paris and Germany to specialize in ophthalmology, to cure his mother’s eye ailment.
 Served as an assistant to the famous oculists of Europe.
 His merits as scientist were recognized by the eminent scientists of Europe.
- Dr. Feogor Jagor
- Dr. Adolph meyer
- Dr. Hans Meyer
- Dr. Rudolph Virchow
 In Gay Paris (1885-86)
- To acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology.
- Stopped at Barcelona to visit Maximo Viola, his friend and a medical student a member of
rich family in San Miguel, Bulacan.
- Dr. Louis de Weckert > leading French ophthalmologist. Rizal worked as an assistant to him
- January 1, 1886 > sent letter to his parents
“With respect to the study of the ailments of the eyes. I am doing well. I know now how to
perform all the operations; I only need to know what is going on inside the eye, which
requires much practice.”
- his friends: the family of the Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix and Paz), Juan Luna and Felix
Ressurreccion Hidalgo
- Paz Pardo de Taveras > fiancé of Juan Luna, Rizal drew some sketches on her album “The
Monkey and the Turtle”
- Model:
- “The Death of Cleopatra” – an Egyptian priest
- “The Blood Compact” – as Sikatuna and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera as Legazpi
 Rizal as Musician
- Rizal had no aptitude for music.
- He studied music because many of his schoolmates at Ateneo were taking music lessons.
- Nov. 27, 1878 – letter to Enrique Lete “learned the solfeggio, the piano and voice culture in
one month and a half.”
- He could not sing well “If you could hear me sing, you would wish you were in Spain because
my voice is like the braying of the asses.”
- He played the flute fairly well. He became a flutist in various impromptu reunions of
Filipinos in Paris.
- Composed some songs, “Alin Mang Lahi” (Any Race), a patriotic song which asserts that any
race aspires for the freedom and, “La Deportacion” (Deportation), he composed in Dapitan
during his exile.
 In Historic Heidelberg
- Feb. 1,1886 – he left Paris for Germany, after acquiring enough experience as
ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckert’s Clinic.
 - Feb. 3, 1886 – he arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany famous for its old
university and romantic surroundings
- He worked at the University Eye Hospital under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker,
distinguished German ophthalmologist
- He attended lectures of Dr. Becker and Prof. Wilhelm Kuehne at the university
 “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”
- 1886 > Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool banks of Neckar river.
- light Blue > “forget-me-not”, his favorite flower
- The beautiful spring flowers reminded him of the blooming flowers at the garden of his
home in Calamba.
- April 22, 1886 – because of his homesickness, he wrote a poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg”
(To the Flowers of Heidelberg)…
 With Pastor Ullmer at Wilhelmsfeld
- He spent 3 months summer vacation at Wilhemsfeld > a mountainous village near
Heidelberg
- He stayed in a kind Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer > his good friend and admirer
- June 25, 1886 > Rizal felt the pangs of sadness when he end his sojourn.
 First Letter to Blumentritt
- July 31, 1886 – Rizal wrote his first letter in German to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt,
Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria
- Ferdinand Blumentritt > Austrian ethnologist and has interest in Philippine Language
“I have heard that you are studying our language, and that you had already published some
work about it; permit me to send you a valuable book written by my countryman in our
language. The Spanish version is mediocre because the author is only a modest writer but
the Tagalog part is good, and it is precisely the language spoken in our province”
- He also sent a book “Aritmetica” (Arithmetic) and it was published in Spanish and Tagalog by
the UST in 1868.
- They became best friends.
 Fifth Centenary of Heidelberg University
- Aug. 6, 1886 – 5th centenary of the university of Heidelberg
 In Leipzig and Dresden
- Aug. 9, 1886 – he left the city
- Aug. 14, 1886 – arrived at Leipzig
- He attended lectures at the university on history and psychology.
- He befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a famous German historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a
German anthropologist.
- He translated Schiller’s William Tell from German to Tagalog and Hans Christian Andersen’s
Fairy Tales.
- He worked as a proof-reader in a publisher firm because of his knowledge of German,
Spanish and other European language.
- Oct. 29 – he left Leipzig to Dresden
 - He met Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, director of the Anthropological and Ethnological Museum
- Nov. 1 – he left Dresden and arrived in Berlin in the evening
 Rizal Welcomed in Berlin’s Scientific Circles
- Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of their scientific atmosphere and absence of race
prejudice.
- He met Dr. Feodor Fagor, author of “Travels in the Philippines”. Dr. Fagor foretold the
downfall of Spanish rule in the Phil. and the coming of America to the Phil. shores.
- !859-1860 > Dr. Fagor visited the Philippines.
- He met: Dr. Rudolf Virchow, Dr. Hans Virchow, Dr. W. Joest
- He worked in the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger
- He became a member of Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society and the
Geographical Society of Berlin.
- 1st Asian to be accorded such honors.
- He was invited by Dr. Virchow give lecture before the Ethnographic Society of Berlin. He
wrote Tagalische Verkunst (Tagalong Metical Art)
 Rizal’s Life in Berlin
- He lived in his famous capital of unified Germany for 5 reasons:
1. To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology
2. To further his studies of sciences and languages
3. To observe the economic had political conditions of the German nation
4. To associate with famous German scientists and scholars
5. To publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere
- At day, he worked as an assistant in clinic of Dr. schweigger, at night, he attended lectures in
the University of Berlin.
- Madame Lucie Cerdole > his private tutor in French language.
 Rizal on German Women
- March 11, 1886 – he wrote letter to Trinidad about his high regard and admiration for
German womanhood.
a. German woman is serious, educated and friendly.
b. She is not gossipy, frivolous and quarrelsome like the Spanish woman
c. She is not particular about beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry, though she could
dress nicely like any other woman in the world.
- Filipino women are more interested in how they dress than in how much they know, as he
regretted it.
- Rizal advised her sister, Trinidad: “Now that you are still young you should strive to read,
read and learn. You must not allow yourself to be conquered by indolence because it costs
so little to cast it off.”
 German Customs
- he admired German customs which he observed well.
- Christmas customs delighted him most.
- Self introduction to strangers in social gathering.
  Rizal’s Darkest Winter
- He lived in poverty because no money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke.
- The diamond ring from Saturnina was in the pawnshop.
- He could not pay his landlord.
- He ate one meal a day. Bread and water or cheap vegetable soup.
- His clothes were old and threadbare. He washed them himself.

CHAPTER 8

> 1886 > the bleak winter was memorable in the life of Rizal for two reasons:

 It was painful episode for he was hungry, sick and despondent in a strange city.
 It brought him great joy after enduring sa much sufferings, because his first novel Noli Me
Tangere came off the press March 1887.
 Idea of writing a Novel on the Philippines
- Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin > became an inspiration for Rizal to prepare a Novel
that would depict the miseries of his people under the lash of Spanish tyrants.
- January 2, 1884 > Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about Philippines by a group of Filipinos.