Jose Rizal's Travels

and Life Abroad

First Travel
 Jose Rizal continue his 4 years of
medical degree at UST - the academic
freedom he had enjoyed while at Ateneo
was weakened by the racial prejudice
and limitations at the UST.
 Nevertheless, he finish his course for he
wanted to treat the failing eyesight of
his mother.
 His gen. ave. was creditable but he
found the classroom inadeqate for his
academic curiosity that's why he
decided to continue his study to SPAIN.
 Aside from studying abroad, he
intended to observe the life, culture,
industries, government and laws of
the European nations in order to
prepare himself in his obsession to
liberate the Filipino people from
Spanish tyranny.
 The plan of leaving was not
known to his parents only Paciano
the older brother, Saturnina and
Lucia, his uncle Antonio Rivera
and other friends supported him
Travel to Spain
 May 1, 1882 – he began writing farewell
letters to his friends and family
 On board, he get along famously
with the passenger including the
 Using the name Jose Mercado, departure for ship Captain, Donato Lecha which
Spain was made possible is from Asturias Spain
 His brother, Paciano gave him money and  After 5 days of sailing, the ship
his sister, Saturnina gave him a diamond reached the English Colony
ring. A Jesuit priest gave him letter of Singapore.
recommendation from the Ateneo AuthoritiesHe registered at Hotel dela Paz; and
to the Jesuit fathers in Barcelona, Spain. the rest of his days were spent on
 May 3, 1882 - Rizal left on board the visiting historic places, temples,
Spanish steamer ship Salvadora bound for botanical garden, art galleries and
singapore (he was the only Filipino statue of Sir Thomas Stanford
Raffles (Founder of Singapore in
1819)
Colombo, Sri-Lanka (Ceylon)
 May 1 , 1882 - From Singapore, he boarder May 18, 1882 - the ship headed
the Djemnah, A French streamer bound for north and docked at Colombo,
Europe. capital of Ceylon (Sri-Lanka); Rizal
 French was mostly spoken on board and to wrote, “Colombo is more
his surprise, the French he learned at the beautiful, smart and elegant than
Ateneo could not be understood - so he Singapore, Point Galle and
gradually improved his facility of Manila.”
language conversing daily with the
passengers.
 May 17, 1882 - Djemnah made its stoopover
at the Point Galle which is a seacoast town
in Southern Ceylon (now Sri-Lanka). He
note that “the seacost town is a picturesque
but lonely, quiet and at the same time
sad.”
Trip Through Suez Canal
 The Djemnah continued to voyage crossing  From Port Said, the ship traversed
the Indian Ocean to the Cape of the Suez Canal and on June II,
Guardafui - the barren coast of Africa 1882 arrived at Napoli (now Naples,
which for Rizal was an inhospiatble land but Italy) - Rizal explore the European
fabulous. territory in his sight and was pleased
 The next stopover was in Aden - the first because of its business activities, its
time that Rizal stepped in African soil and live people, its panoramic beauty
saw real camels. like Mt. Vesuvius, The Castle of
Saint Telmo, and others.
 From Aden, the streamer arrived at Port
Said (the red sea terminal of the Suez Cana) The ship proceed to Marseilles and
arrived at the French harbor on June
in the City of Suez, and Rizal was fascinated
by the multi-racial inhabitants speaking “A 12, 1882.
Babel of Tongues” - Arabic, Egyptian,
Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, ect.
Trip Through Suez Canal
 In Merseilles, he visited the famous chateau d 'If
where Dantes, the hero of “The Count of Monter
changed
Cristo” was imprisoned.
 June 15, 1882 - in the afternoon, Rizal left
Merseilles by train bound for Barcelona. It crossed
Pyrenees and stropped for a day at Port Bou for
passport inspection.
 June 16, 1882 - Rizal finally reached Barcelona,
the second largest city of Spain and the greatest city
of Cataluña.
 Rizal's first impresson of the city was not favorable
for he happened stay upod his arrival at a dirty inn
wherein the staff and guests were indifferent to
him.
Later, this first impression
and found Barcelona to be really a
great city, the people were
courageous, open-hearted and
hospitable, and most of all the
atmosphere of freedom and
liberalism was felt.
 His former classmates in Ateneo
welcomed him, and was given a
party at the favorite cafe in Plaza de
Cataluña.
Trip Through Suez Canal
 While in Barcelona, Rizal wrote a natinalistic essay Because of the
etitled - Amor Patrio (Love of Country) - which fervor that the essay brings to
nationalistic
was his first article written in Spain's soil under the the Philippines, Rizal's
penname Laong Laan. friend encourage him to
 He sent this to his friend Basilio Teodoro Moran,  write more. he wrote the
In response,
publisher of Diariong Tagalog - the first Manila second article for Diarion
newspaper published both Spanish and Tagalog. Tagalog which is Los Viajes
 August 20, 1882 - the Amor Patrio was published in (Travels).
two texts: the tagalog text was translated by  His third artice which is
Marcelo H. Del Pilar. Revista de Madrid (Review of
 In this essay, Rizal urged the Filipinos to love the Madrid) was returned to him
Philippines, their fatherland. Thus he wanted them to for Diariong Tagalog had
be free, to be people with dignity and honor accdg. to stopped the publication due to
God's plan . lack of funds.
In Madrid, Spain
 November 3, 1882 - he left Barcelona with
unwavering determination, prodigious energy and
talent and enrolled at Central University of
Madrid (Universidad Central de Madrid) for the
licentiate in Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters.
 His study habit is systematic and well-organized
because he wanted to learn so much within a short
time.
 To enhance his artistic talent, he also took lessons
in painting and sculpture at the Academia de
Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Academy of Fine
Arts of San Fernando)
 During his free hours, he practiced
shooting and fencing or he
attended lectures on art galleries
and museums and read books on
all subjects including military
engineering.
 He rigidly budget his money and
time.
 He lived frugally with immense
capacity for work.
 He was a voracious reader who
could stay until midnight reading
fiction and nonfiction novels.
I Wnith Mmany aboodks

 Rizal joined the Hispano-Philippine
Circle (Circulo Hispano-Flipino) - a
sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people society of Spaniards and Filipinos
r id , S p
and these were the following:
he h ad r ead , tw o
 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Hariet Beecher
shortly after his arrival in Madrid.
 Upon the request of the members of the
Stowe society, he wrote a poem entitled Me
a i n
b  ooTheks Wandering Jew
left a deep by Eugene
impression on Sue
him
Piden Verses (They Ask Me For
Verses) which he personally declaimed
 that
Aside from studies,
hieghtened his Rizal had the chance to meet during the New Year's Eve reception in
Consuelo Ortiga y Perez - He fell in love with Madrid last December 31, 1882
Consuelo but because of Eduardo de Lete was
courting her, Rizal did not pursue further and made In
of
this sad poem, he poured out the cry
his agonizing heart and sadness of
a poem for Consuelo.
being alone in the foreign land.
 August 22, 1883 - The poem Miss Consuelo
Ortiga y Rey (Miss C.O.Y.R) was written
In Madrid, Spain  2 reasons why he join:
 Rizal became a mason in Madrid, he came in close
contact with the Spanish liberals and republicans  To secure freemasonsry's aid in his
who were mostly masons. fight against the friars in the
Philippines for they use the Catholic
 He was impressed by the way the Spanish masons
religion as a shield to entrench
openly and freely criticized and attacked the
themselves in power and wealth and
government and church which could not be done
persecute the Filipino Patriots.
in the Philippines for they will be jailed or
executed.  To utilize freemasonry as his shield to
combat these problems in the
 He discovered the political possibilities of being a
Philippines and more mature contacts
mason, so he joined the Masonic lodge called
and enlightenment as he was writing
Acacia in Madrid with the Masonic name
his Noli Me Tangere
Dimasalang.
In Madrid, Spain
 February 18, 1892 - he had been awarded the  June 25, 1884 - RIzal was invited to give
diploma as Master Mason; after joining, Rizal the principal speech; it was attended by
naturally ceased going to mass and wandered far prominent Spanish artist, newspapermen,
from the faith - continued to have faith in statesmen, and Filipinos which he saluted
Divine Providence, a testimony to the deep Luna and Hidalgo as the two glories of
imprint of Catholicism in his soul. Spain and the Philippines.
 While in Madrid, the Filipinos including Rizal  Speaking in sonorous Castilian, he held
were having financial problems however, his audience spellbound. He even
inspired by the victory of Juan Luna and cocluded with refined sarcasm the abuses
Resurrecion Hidalgo. and blindness of some Spaniards who
 Luna's painting - “Spolarium” won first prize could not comprehend a university
gold medal genius, ended with a toast and a wild

 Hidalgo's painting - “Christian Virgins Exposed ovations

to the Populace” won second prize silver medal.
 Rizal's Education in Spain
 He followed a systematic and well-organized schedule of study
 June 21, 1884 - He completed his medical course and was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine (Licenciado en Medicina) by the
Universidad Central de Madrid that made him a full-fledged physician,
qualified to practice medicine.
 1884-1885 - He completed his degree of Doctor of Medicine bus not
awarded his diploma for he did not submit the thesis as a requirement for
graduation nor paid corresponding fees; this degree was conferred in 1961 during
the centenary of his birth.
 June 19, 1885 - He was also awarded the degree of Licentiate in
Philosophy and Letters with ratings of Sobresaliente
Rizal

in Paris and Berlin (1885-1887)
In search for relevant education and advance
studies, he went to Paris, France and Berlin (now
Germany), to specialize in Opthalmology with
the sole reason of curing his mother's eye ailment.
 On his way to Paris, he stopped at Barcelona to
visit his friend, Maximo Viola - a medical student on his own.
who belonged to a rich family in San Miguel,
Bulacan, and Don Miguel Morayta, the owner of
La Publicidad.
 October 1885 - he arrived in Paris and stayed
there for four months as an assistant to Dr. Louis
de Weckert - a leading French Opthalmologist.
 In his stay, he visited the studio of Juan
Luna, the home of Pardo de Tavera and
Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo - they had
long hours discussion on the many
problems of arts and learned techniques
 He helped Luna by posing as a model in
several painting like
 “The Death of Cleopatra” where
he posed as an Egyptian Priest
 “The Blood Compact”, posed as
Sikatuna with Dr. Trinidad Pardo
de Tavera taking the role of Legazpi
Rizal in Historic Heidelberg, Germany
 His limited allowance and his desire to learn more  During weekend, he visited scenery
about eye ailments prompted him to go to
Germany, where the cost of living was cheaper
than in Paris.
 February 3, 1886 - he reached Heidelberg, a
historic city in Germany famous for its old
university.
 He worked at the University Eye Hospital under
the direction and supervision of Dr. Otto Becker
- a distinguished renowned German
Opthalmologist.
 He attended the lecture of Dr. Becker and Prof.
Wilhelm Kuehne at the University
around Heidelberg, the famus
Heidelberg Castle, the Romantic Neckar
River, the old churches.
 He noticed ecumenism practiced
where people lived together in harmony
and cordiality - half of the town
churches was used by Catholics and the
other by the Protestant.
 During his stay, he lived with a
Protestant pastor Dr. Karl Ullmen,
who became a good friend.
Rizal in Historic Heidelberg, Germany
 In the spring of 1886, Rizal was fascinated by
the blooming flowers along the banks of the
Necker River - among them was his favorite
flower - a light blue “foget me not”.
 April 22, 1886, he wrote “A Las Flores de
Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) - he
was inspired by the pretty flowers strewn along
the banks of the Neckar River - in this poem he
revealed his longing for his native land, which
later he sent his message of love and faith in the
Philippines.
First Letter to Blumentritt
 July 31, 1886 - Rizal's pride in his linguistic
talent was heightened when he wrote in a German
Letter to Professor Ferdinand Blumetritt,
Director of Ateneo of Leitmeritz Austria.
 He knew that this Austrian Ethnologist was
interested in Philippine Languages. In his letter,
Rizal said:
 “I have heared 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 countrymen
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
previously the language spoken
in our province.”
 With the letter, he sent the book entitled
“Arithmetica” (Arithmetic) printed by UST
press in 1868, authored by Rufino
Baltazar Fernandez, a native of Sta. Cruz
Laguna.
 Blumentritt was amazed by Rizal's letter
and reciprocated by sending two books to
Rizal as a gift; correspondence begin and he
became the bestfriend of Rizal
From Geneva, Switzerland to Italy
 June 19, 1887 - Rizal celebrated his 26th Birthday in
Geneva Switzerland.
 After two weeks, then he take tour to Italy.
 He visited famous cities of Venice, Turin, Milan,
Florence, and Roma.
 In Rome, it was regarded as an “Eternal Roman
Catholic Church” and “City of Popes”.
 He stayed at Rome for a week and head back
home
End of the Journey… for the
moment..