SPAIN

NNY
IN SU 5
188
2 -
188
IN SUNNY SPAIN (1882-1885)
After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the
University of Santo Tomas, Rizal decided to complete his studies
in Spain
Aside from completing his studies in Spain, Rizal has his
“secret mission”—was to observe keenly the life and culture,
languages and customs, industries and commerce, and
government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare
himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from
Spanish tyranny
This Rizalian secret mission was likewise disclosed by Paciano
in his letter to his younger brother dated Manila, May 20, 1892
 Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection
by the Spanish authorities and the friars

. • Jose Mercado- Rizal used this name; a cousin from Biñan

• May 3, 1882- Rizal departed on board the Spanish streamer
Salvadora bound for Singapore
 SINGAPORE
• Donato Lecha- the ship captain from Asturias, Spain
befriended Rizal
--Rizal described him as an affable man, “much more
refined than his other countrymen and colleagues that I have met.”
• Rizal played chess with his fellow passengers who were much
older than him
• May 8, 1882- while the steamer was approaching Singapore,
Rizal saw a beautiful island, fascinated by its scenic beauty, he
remembered “Talim Island with the Susong Dalaga”
• May 9, 1882- the Salvadora docked at Singapore
• Hotel de la Paz- Rizal registered here and spent two days on a
sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of England
FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO
• In Singapore, Rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, a
French steamer, which left Singapore for Europe on May 11, 1882
May 17, 1882- Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town
in southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Rizal wrote on his travel diary: “The general appearance of
Point Galle is picturesque but lonely and quiet and at the same time
sad”
Colombo- capital of Ceylon
-Rizal was enamoured by Colombo because of its scenic beauty and
elegant buildings
-“Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore,
Point Galle and Manila”
 For the first time, Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa,
which he called an “inhospitable land but famous”
Aden- city hotter than Manila
-Rizal was amused to see the camels, for the first time
City of Suez- the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal
-Rizal was impressed in the beautiful moonlight which reminded
him of Calamba and his family
Suez Canal- canal which built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French
diplomat-engineer) which was
inaugurated on November 17, 1869
Port Said- the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal
 NAPLES AND MARSEILLES
June 11, 1882- Rizal reached Naples
-Rizal was pleased on this Italian city because of its
business activity, its lively people, and its panoramic
beauty
Night of June 12, 1882- the steamer docked at the
French harbor of Marseilles
Rizal visited the famous Chateau d’If, where Dantes,
hero of the Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned
Rizal stayed two and a half days in Marseilles
 BARCELONA
• Afternoon of May 15, 1882- Rizal left Marseilles by train for the last lap of his
trip to Spain
• Rizal crossed the Pyrenees and stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port
Bou
• June 16, 1882- Rizal finally reached his destination—Barcelona
• Rizal’s first impression of Barcelona, the greatest city of Cataluña and Spain’s
second largest city, was unfavorable
• Las Ramblas- the most famous street in Barcelona
• Amor Patrio (Love of Country)- nationalistic essay, Rizal’s first article written on
Spain’s soil
-under his pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20,
1882
- it was published in two texts—Spanish and Tagalog—the Spanish text was the one
originally written by Rizal in Barcelona, the tagalog text was a Tagalog translation
made by M.H. del Pilar
 Basilio Teodoro Moran- a friend of Rizal in Manila and the publisher of
Diariong Tagalog where Rizal sent this article
Diariong Tagalog- the first Manila bilingual newspaper (Spanish and
Tagalog)
Los Viajes (Travels)- Rizal’s second article for Diariong Tagalog
Revista de Madrid (Review of Madrid)- Rizal’s third article written in
Madrid on November 29, 1882 but returned to him because the Diariong
Tagalog had ceased publication for lack of funds
Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging Manila and
the provinces according to Paciano’s letter, dated September 15, 1882
Another sad news from the Philippines was the chatty letter of Chengoy
recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera
In one of his letters (dated May 26, 1882), Paciano advised his younger
brother to finish the medical course in Madrid
Rizal left Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and established himself in Madrid,
the capital of Spain
 LIFE IN MADRID
• November 3, 1882- Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid
(Central University of Madrid) in two courses—Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters
• Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando- Rizal studied painting and sculpture
• Rizal’s only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in
every draw of the Madrid
Lottery
• Rizal spent his leisure time reading and writing at his boarding house,
attending the reunions of Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers
(Antonio, Maximo and Pedro) and practicing fencing and shooting at the
gymnasium
• Antigua Café de Levante-during the summer twilights, this is where Rizal
sipped coffee and fraternized with the students from Cuba, Mexico, Argentina,
etc.
 • On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who
lived with his son (Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo)
• Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle)- a society of Spaniards
and Filipinos which Rizal joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882
• Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me For Verses)- upon the request of the members
of this society, Rizal’s wrote this poem which he personally declaimed during
the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of
December 31, 1882
-in this sad poem, Rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart
• Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he
purchased books from a second-hand book store owned by a certain Señor
Roses
• Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew-
these two books aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate
people
 FIRST VISIT TO PARIS (1883)
---During his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris, gay
capital of France
---The prices of food, drinks, theatre, tickets, laundry, hotel
accommodations, and transportation were too high for Rizal’s slender
purse so that he commented in a letter to his family: “Paris is the costliest
capital in Europe.”
• June 17 to August 20, 1883- Rizal sojourn in Paris
• Hotel de Paris- located on 37 Rue de Maubange wherein Rizal billeted but
later, he moved to a cheaper hotel on 124 Rue de Rennes in the Latin
Quarter
• Laennec Hospital- where Rizal observed Dr. Nicaise treating his patients
• Lariboisiere Hospital- where Rizal observed the examination of different
diseases of women
• Rizal was impressed by the way the Spanish Mason openly and
freely criticized the government policies and lambasted the friars,
which could not be done in Philippines
• March 1883- Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid
• Rizal’s reason for becoming a mason was to secure Freemansory’s
aid in his fight against the friars in the Philippines
• Lodge Solidaridad (Madrid) – Rizal transferred where he became a
Master Mason on November 15, 1890
• February 15, 1892- Rizal was awarded the diploma as Master Mason
by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris
• Science, Virtue and Labor- Rizal’s only Masonic writing; a lecture
which he delivered in 1889 at Lodge Solidaridad, Madrid
• After Rizal’s departure for Spain, things turned from bad to worse in
Calamba: (1) harvests of rice and sugarcane failed on account of drought
and locusts (2) the manager of the Dominican-owned hacienda increased
the rentals of the lands (3) a dreadful pest killed most of the turkeys. Due
to hard times in Calamba, the monthly allowances of Rizal in Madrid were
late in arrival and there were times when they never arrived
• June 24, 1884- a touching incident in Rizal’s life in Madrid wherein he was
broke and was unable to take breakfast
-Rizal attended his class at the university, participated in the contest in
Greek language and won the gold medal
• Evening of June 25, 1884- a banquet 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 Spoliarium winning the
first prize and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace
(Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho), second prize
• November 20, 21, and 22, 1884- the serene city of Madrid exploded in
bloody riots by the students of the Central University
• These student demonstrations were caused by the address of Dr. Miguel
Morayta, professor of history, at the opening ceremonies of the academic
year on November 20, in which he proclaimed “the freedom of science and
the teacher”
• The Rector, who also took the side of the students, was forced to resign
and was replaced by Doctor Creus, “a very unpopular man, disliked by
everybody”
• November 26, 1884- Rizal wrote the recounting tumultuous riots to his
family
• June 21, 1884- Rizal completed his medical course in Spain; he was
conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central
de Madrid
• The next academic year (1884-1885), Rizal studied and passed all subjects
leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine but he did not present the
thesis required for graduation nor paid the corresponding fees, he was not
awarded his Doctor’s diploma
• June 19, 1885- on his 24th birthday, Rizal was awarded the degree of
Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters by the Universidad Central de Madrid
with the rating of “Excellent”: (Sobresaliente)
• November 26, 1884- a letter to Rizal’s family written in Madrid wherein he
said “My doctorate is not of very much value to me… because although it is
useful to a university professor, yet, I believe they
(Dominican friars—Z) will never appoint me as such in the College of Santo
Tomas. I say the same thing of philosophy and letters which may serve
also for a professorship, but I doubt if the Dominican fathers will grant it
to me.”
 K YOU
THAN