In Sunny Spain (1882-1885)

Chapter 6

Rizal’s Secret Mission

• Rizal’s secret mission (with the blessing of Paciano)was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs,industries and commerce, governments and laws of European nations

Paciano’s letter (an excerpt)

• “… it is said that you will finish the medical course in Barcelona and not 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…..”

Secret Departure for Spain

• He used the name Jose Mercado, a cousin from Binan.

• May 3, 1882- Rizal departed on board the Spanish steamer SALVADORA bound for Singapore.

• Rizal’s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars. Even his own parents did not know because he knew they, especially his mother, would not allow him to go.

Secret departure for Spain• Only his older brother (Paciano),

his uncle (Antonio Rivera father of Leonor Rivera), his sisters ( Neneng and Lucia), the Valenzuela Family ( Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday and their daughter Orang), Pedro A. Paterno, his compadre Mateo Evangelista, and Ateneo Jesuits fathers and some intimate friends, including Chengoy (Jose M. Cecilio).

Singapore

• Donato Lecha- the ship captain from Asturias, Spain.

•  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. Rizal landed and registered at HOTEL DE LA PAZ, and spent two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city, which was a colony of England.

Singapore to Colombo

• Rizal transferres into another ship Djemnah,a french steamer

which left Singapore for Europe on May 11. it was a larger, cleaner vessel which carried more passengers. Among these passengers were British, French, Dutch, Spaniards, Malays, Siamese, and Filipinos ( Mr. and Mrs. Salazar, Mr. Vicente Pardo, and Jose Rizal).

• May 17- 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.

Suez Canal• From Colombo, the

Djemnah continued the voyage crossing the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Guardafui, Africa.

 

• At the next stop over- in Aden- Rizal went ashore to see the sights. He found the city hotter than Manila.

First Trip to Suez Canal• From Aden, the Djemnah proceeded to the city of the of Suez,

the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal. Upon arrival at Suez, Rizal disembarked and went sightseeing, like an ordinary tourist. 

• It took the Djemnah five days to transverse the Suez Canal. Rizal was thrilled because it was his first trip through this canal which was built by Ferdinand de Lesseps (French diplomat engineer). It was inaugurated on November 17, 1869. at Fort Said, the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez canal, Rizal landed to hear the multi-racial inhabitants speaking a babel of tongues- Arabic, Egyptian, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, etc.

Naples and Marseilles• Rizal Reached Naples on

June 11• He was fascinated with Mt.

Vesuvius, Castle of St. Telmo,and other historic sights

• Disembarked on Marseilles on night of June 12

• Visited famous Chateu d’lf• From alexander dumas’ The

Count of Monte Cristo

Barcelona

• Rizal arrived in Barcelona by June 16, 1882

• Has first impression of being unfavorable

• Later came to like the city

• Wrote “Amor Patrio” in Barcelona under pen name Laong-laan which appeared on Diariong Tagalog

From Manila to Madrid

• By September 15, rizal received information of widespread of Cholera

• Chatty letter of Chengoy reagrding the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera

• May 26, rizal was advised to finish course• Left Barcelona in fall of 1882 and established

himself in Madrid, capital of Spain

Life in Madrid

• Enrolled on November 2,1882 in Universidad Central De Madrid in Madicine and Philosophy in Letters

• Studied painting and sculpture Academy of fine arts of San fernando

• Took lessons in french and German and English• Assidously fencing and shooting in the Hall of Saz y

Carbonell

Life in Madrid

• Lived frugally and led a spartan life

• Stated that only extravagance was investing a few pesitas for a lottery ticket in every draw of Madrid Lottery

• Attends reunions at the Paterno Brother’s house

• On Saturday evenings,he visited the home of Pablo Ortega y Rey who lived with his Son Rafael and Daughter Consuelo

Consuelo Ortega y Perez

• Rizal Composed a lovely poem for her on

August 22,1883 with A la Señorita C.O. y P (To miss C.O. y P.)

Backed out for romance because:

He was still engaged to leonor Rivera

His co-worker on propaganda movement,Eduardo De Lete was madly in love with her

Romance with Consuelo Ortega y Rey 

• In 1882, shortly after his arrival in Madrid, Rizal joined the Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society of Spaniards and Filipinos.

• Upon request of the members of the society, he wrote a poem entitled Me Piden Versos (They Asked Me for Verses). In this sad poem, he poured out the cry of his agonizing heart, as follows;

Rizal as a Lover of Books

• Favorite pastime in Madrid

• Purchased books from second hand book-stores

Paris,France

• Rizal’s first summer June 17-august 20,1883

• Enamored with Paris with boulevards and sights

• Mistaken as a Japanese by the Parisians

• Quotes Paris “Cosliest Capital in Europe”

As a Mason

• Rizal was impressed by the way Spanish Masons openly and freely critized the government policies,which could not be done with the Philippines that time

• Joined Acacia

As a Mason..

• Later transferred to La Solidaridad (Madrid)

• Master mason on November 15,1890

• February 15,1892,he received a diploma as master mason by Le Grand Orient de France

• Has lukewarm role in freemasonry

• Has only masonic review was on a lecture “Science,Virtue and Labor” delivered on Lodge Solidaridad

Financial Worries

• Harvest of rice and sugarcane failed because of locust and drought

• Increased rentals on haciendas

• A dreadful pest that killed almost all of the turkeys

• The Hacienda manager was enraged when he was once refused for a turkey and increased the lease.

• Rizal’s allowance were late in arrival or sometimes they never arrived

Financial Worries

• June 24, 1884: • Because he was broke,he was unable to have any

breakfast,attended class at university participated in contest in Greek Language and won gold medal

• In evening of same day,he was able to eat for he was a guest speaker in a baquet held in honor of Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo at Resturant Ingles,Madrid

Salute to Luna and Hidalgo

• Evening of June 25,1884:• A Banquet for celebration on double victory of the

Filipino Artist in the National Exposition in Fine Arts in Madrid-Luna’s Spolarium with First Prize and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins exposed to populace

Student Demonstrations

• November 20-22,1884 a riot was held by the students of Central University

• the address of Dr. Miguel Morayta, a professor of history caused his dismissal which led to a violent demonstrations

Student Demonstration

• November 20,1884:• “viva Morayta! Down

with Bishops!” • November 21,1884: • “down with Creus!”

newly appointed rector

Chaos ensued

• November 22,1884:

• Police occupied the university

• Rizal had to go under disguise

• He swore never to return to the university

• Until their satisfaction and the old rector was reinstituted

Student Demonstration

• Becomes a sensational controversy,where papers,except ministry are in the students favor, a rich banker even gives ten thousand duros to the ex-rector to bail students and professors

Studies completed in Spain.

• Rizal completed his medical sourse in Spain.

• He was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by University Central de Madrid on June21, 1884.

• Next academic year he studied and passed all the subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of the Medicine.

 

Doctor of Medicine (Not Awarded)

 

• He finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters

• Awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters on his 24th birthday (June 19,18850 with the rating of excellent.

 

• Rizal Complete his studies in Spain. He became qualified to be a professor of Humanities in any

Spanish University. He became a full-fledged physician, qualified to practice

medicine. Being a man of high intelligence and foresight, he knew that

with his brown color and Asian racial ancestry no friar-owned university or college in the Philippines would accept him in its faculty staff.

He said in his letter to his family written in Madrid, November 26, 1884: ‘’My doctorate is not of very much value to me . . . because although it is useful to a university professor, yet I believe they 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 professorship, but I doubt if the Dominican fathers will grant it to me.’’

 

End…Bariring,

Bongato,

Usi,

Gesite,

Ramirez,

Resurreccion,

Nullas,

Gupo