1882-1887

Rizal’s First Trip Abroad

Spain (1882-1885)Paris (1885-1886)Berlin (1886-1887)Grand Tour of Europe (1887)

Overt and covert mission: to complete Rizal’s studies and to study life and culture of European nations.

AWOL: “But as God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfil obligations or a role in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt myself from this duty, and small through it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellow-men. I realize that all this means sacrifices, and terrible ones. I imagine the pain which I must give you, but I feel something that obliges and impels me to leave. I shall strive with faith, and I shall win or lose... God’s will be done.”

SPAI N (1882-1885)

When the telegram informing us of your departure was received in Calamba, as it was natural, our parents were grieved, especially the old man who became taciturn, always staying in bed, and weeping at night, and the consolation offered by the family , the curate, and strangers was of no avail. He made me go to Manila to find out with what means you were able to undertake the voyage. On my return I assured them that your expenses were defrayed by some friends of yours in Manila, hoping that this would calm him. Notwithstanding, he remained always sad. Seeing this and fearing that his taciturnity might degenerate into a malady, I told him everything, but to him alone, begging him to keep the secret and he promised to do so. Only since then have I seen him a little gay and return to his usual ways. This is what occurred in the family...

Paciano’s Letter (May 20, 1882)

It is said here that you will finish the medical course in Barcelona and not at Madrid. To me the principal purpose of your departure is not to finish this course but to study other things of greater usefulness or that to which you are more inclined. So I think that you ought to study at Madrid.

May 3-8, 1882: Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore.

May 9, 1882: The Salvadora docked, 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.

May 11, 1882: French steamer Djemnah left Singapore bound for Europe.

May 17, 1882: The Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka); the following day, the Djemnah weighed anchor and resumed the voyage towards Colombo, the capital of Ceylon. After a few hours of sailing, she reached this city on the same day.

Voyage to Spain

Colombo through Indian Ocean to the Cape of Guardafui, Africa.

Next stopover: Aden. Hotter than Manila. First time to see camels.

From Aden to the city of Suez, the Red Sea terminal of Suez Canal.

Five days to traverse Suez Canal. At Port Said, the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez Canal, Rizal landed.

June 11, 1882: Rizal reached Naples.June 12, 1882: Dejmnah 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’s ship at Suez Canal

June 15, 1882: Rizal left Marseilles by train for the last lap of his trip to Spain; Passport inspection at Port Bou.

June 16, 1882: Rizal reached Barcelona.“Amor Patrio” (Love of Country): first article written on

Spanish soil. Under pen-name Laong-Laan, the essay appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882, in two texts – Spanish and Tagalog (translation by M.H. Del Pilar).

Publisher Basilio Teodoro Moran, deeply impressed by Amor Patrio, requested Rizal for more articles. In response, Rizal wrote “Los Viajes”. “Revista de Madrid” (November 29, 1882) was returned to him because the Diariong Tagalog had ceased publication for lack of funds.

In Barcelona

While in Barcelona, Rizal received sad news about the cholera that was ravaging Manila and the provinces in the Archipelago.

Leonor Rivera was getting thinner because of the absence of a loved one.

Following the advice of Paciano, Rizal moved to Madrid (fall of 1882) to finish his medical course.

November 3, 1882: Rizal enrolled in the Unversidad Central de Madrid in two courses – Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.

He also studied painting and sculpture in the Acadeny of Fine Arts of San Fernando.

He took lessons in French, German and English under private instructors.

Assiduously practised fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell.

Visited the art galleries and museums and read books on all subjects under the sun, including military engineering, in order to broaden his cultural background.

Barcelona to Madrid

Shortly after Rizal’s arrival in Madrid, he joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino.

Upon the request of the members of this society, Rizal wrote a poem entitled “Mi Piden Versos” (They Ask Me for Verses), which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception (December 31, 1882)

Still in 1882...

Budget priorities: food, clothing, lodging and books

Only extravagance: a few pesetas for lottery tickets in every draw of the Madrid Lottery.

Leisure: reading and writing at his boarding house; attending reunions of Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers (Antonio, Maximino, and Pedro); practicing fencing and shooting at the gymnasium; sipping coffee at Antigua Cafe de Levante...

A Spartan Life in Madrid

In Calamba, harvests of rice and sugarcane failed on account of drought and locusts; there was increase in rentals of the lands cultivated by the Rizal family; turkeys raised by Rizal’s father were killed by dreadful pest...

Rizal’s allowance from Calamba were delayed or would not come at all; Paciano had to sell Rizal’s pony to send money to Madrid.

June 24, 1884: Without breakfast, he attended class at the University, participated in Greek language contest and won a gold medal. In the evening of the same day, he was only able to eat dinner because he was a guest speaker in banquent held in honor of Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo at Restaurant Ingles in Madrid.

Touching...

“...genius knows no country, genius sprouts everywhere, genius is like light, air, the patrimony of everybody, cosmopolitan like space, like life, like God...”

Salute to Luna and Hidalgo

F.R. Hidalgo, 2nd Prize, National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid (1884)

Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho

Juan Luna, 1st Prize, National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid, 1884

Spolarium

On Saturday evenings, Rizal would visit the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey (former city mayor of Manila) who now lived in Madrid with his son (Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo).

Rizal was shy and lonely; Consuelo was attractive and vivacious.

Poem: A La Señorita C.O. y P. (August 22, 1883)

Consuelo Ortiga y Perez

Leonor RiveraHis friend and co-worker in the Propaganda

Movement, Eduardo de Lete, who was also madly in love with Consuelo.

Breakup with Consuelo

June 17 to August 20, 1883: First summer vacation in Madrid

Hotel de Paris, 37 Rue de Maubange124 Rue de RennesChamps Elysses, the Opera House, the Place de la

Concorde, the Arch of Triumph, the Bois de Boulogne (magnificent park), the Madeleine church, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Column of Vendome, the Invalides (containing the tomb of Napoleon the Great), and the fabulous Versailles.

“Paris is the costliest capital in Europe...”

Paris, 1883

Champs Elysses

Opera House

Notre Dame

In Spain, Rizal came in close contact with prominent Spanish liberal and republican Spaniards, who were mostly Masons (Miguel Morayta, Francisco Pi y Margal, Manuel Becerra, et al.)

March 1883, Rizal joined the Masonic Lodge Acacia in Madrid.

November 15, 1890, Rizal transferred to Lodge Solidaridad, where he became a Master Mason.

February 15, 1892, he was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de France in Paris.

Rizal as a Mason

The Illustrados

The Freedom of Science and the Teacher (Address at the Opening Ceremonies of the Academic Year at Universidad Central de Madrid, by Dr. M. Morayta, Professor of History, November 20, 1884)

Such a liberal view was condemned by the Catholic bishops of Spain, who promptly excommunicated Dr. Morayta and those who applauded the speech.

“Viva Morayta! Down with Bishops!” The massive demonstrations were participated by Rizal, Valentin Ventura and other Filipinos.

Dr. Miguel Morayta Sagrario

Rizal was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid on June 21, 1884.

The next academic year, (1884-1885) he studied and passed all subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine; but due to the fact that he did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paid the corresponding fees, he was not awarded his Doctor’s diploma.

Rizal also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters. 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).

Madrid, 1884-1885

Rizal in Paris

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