CHAPTER 6

IN SUNNY SPAIN (1882-1885)

 Why does Rizal went to Spain?

After finishing the 4th year of the medical course in the

University of Sto. Tomas, Jose Rizal, decide to complete
his studies in Spain.
At that time, the government of Spain was a
constitutional monarchy
Aside from this reasons, he had another reason, this was
his “SECRET MISSION”.
 Rizal’s Secret Mission

 To observe keenly the life and culture,

languages and customs, industries and
commerce, and governments and law of the
European nations in order to prepare himself in the
mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from
Spanish Tyranny.
Two Evidences related to this “secret mission”

Farewell letter of Jose Rizal to his parents.

Letter of Paciano to his younger brother, Jose

Rizal (May 20, 1982)
SECRET DEPARTURE TO
SPAIN
 List of individuals who know about his travel to
Spain.

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)
 List of individuals who know about his travel to
Spain.
 Pedro A. Paterno
 His compadre (Mateo Evangelista)
 The Ateneo Jesuit fathers
 Some intimate friends, including Chengoy (Jose M. Cecilio)

“He used the name, Jose Mercado, a cousin from Biñan.”

 He wrote farewell letters to:

His beloved parents

His sweetheart, Leonor Rivera

 On my way to SINGAPORE

On May 3, 1882, Rizal departed on board the

Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for Singapore.
 Passengers on board the Salvadora

Five or six are ladies, many children and the rest

gentlemen
He was the only Filipino, the rest were Spaniards, British,
and Indian Negroes.
The ship captain was Donato Lecha, from Asturias,
Spain.
 On my way to Singapore

May 8, 1882 – 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, registered at Hotel de la Paz, and spent two
days sightseeing.
 He saw the following:

The famous botanical Garden

Beautiful Buddhist Temples
Busy shopping district
Statue of Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles (Founder of
Singapore)
 From Singapore to Colombo

May 11, 1882 – Rizal transferred to another ship

Djemnah, a French steamer, which left Singapore for
Europe.
Among the passengers were: British, French, Dutch,
Spaniards, Malays, Siamese and Filipinos (Mr. and Mrs.
Salazar, Mr. Vicente Pardo, and Jose Rizal)
 From Singapore to Colombo

 May 17, 1882 – The Djemnah reached Point Galle, a

seacoast town in Southern Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Rizal
was unimpressed with this town.
 May 18, 1882 – Djemnah weighted anchor and resume
the voyage towards Colombo, the capital of Ceylon, They
reached the city at the same day.
 First Trip Through Suez Canal

The Djemnah continued the voyage crossing the Indian

Ocean to the Cape of Guardafui, Africa. For the first
time, Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa. Which he
called an “inhospitable land but famous”.
 First Trip Through Suez Canal

 At the next stopover – in Aden – Rizal went ashore to

see the sights. He found the city, hotter than Manila.
From Aden, the Djemnah proceeded to the city of Suez,
the Red Sea Terminal of the Suez Canal.
 First Trip Through Suez Canal

 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 diplomatic-engineer) It was inaugurated
on November 17, 1869.
 First Trip Through Suez Canal

 At Port Said, the Mediterranean terminal of the Suez

Canal, Rizal landed in order to see the interesting sights.
 Naples and Marseilles

 OnJune 11, Rizal reached Naples. This Italian City pleased him
because of its business activity, its lively people, and its panoramic
beauty. He was fascinated by Mt. Vesuvius, the Castle of St. Telmo,
and other historic sights of the city.
 Onthe night of June 12, the steamer docked at the French harbor of
Marseilles. Rizal visited the famous Chateau d’lf, where Dantes,
hero of The Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned.
 Barcelona

 On the afternoon of June 15, Rizal left Marseilles by train for

the last lap of his trip to Spain. He cross the Pyreness and
stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou.
 After the passport inspection at Port-Bou, Rizal continued his
trip by rail, finally reaching his destination – Barcelona – on
June 16, 1882.

* first and last impressions *

 Barcelona

The Filipinos in Barcelona, some of whom were his

schoolmates in the Ateneo, welcomed Rizal. They gave
him a party at their favorite café in Plaza de Cataluña.
Exchange of informations occurs after the exchange of
toasts.
 Amor Patrio

In progressive Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic

essay entitled “Amor Patrio” (Love of Country), his first
article written on Spain’s soil. He sent this article to his
friend in Manila, Basilio Teodoro Moran, publisher of
Diariong Tagalog, the first Manila bilingual newspaper
(Spanish and Tagalog).
 Amor Patrio

 Rizal’s “Amor Patrio” 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.
 Amor Patrio

 Rizal wrote the second article for Diariong Tagalog

entitled “Los Viajes” (Travels). His third article “Revista
de Madrid” (Review of Madrid), which he wrote in
Madrid on November 29, 1882, was returned to him
because the Diariong Tagalog has ceased publication for
lack of funds.
 Manila moves to Madrid

 While sojourning in Barcelona Rizal received sad news about a

cholera that was ravaging Manila and other provinces.
 Another sad news from the Philippines was the chatty letter of
Chengoy recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was
getting thinner because of the absence of a loved one.
 Inone of his letters (dated May 26, 1882), Paciano advised his
younger brother to finished his medical course in Madrid.
 Life in Madrid

 On
November 3, 1882, Rizal enrolled in the Unibersidad Central de
Madrid in two courses – Medicine, and Philosophy and Letters.
 Hestudied painting and sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts of San
Fernando.
 He also took lessons in French, German, and English under private
instructor.
 Healso practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y
Carbonell.
 Romance with Consuelo Ortiga Y Perez

 Rizalwas attracted by Consuelo’s beauty and vivacity. He even

composed a lovely poem, A La Señorita C. O. y P., he
expressed his admiration for her. However, before his romance
with Consuelo could blossom into a serious affair, He suddenly
backed out for two reasons:
 1. He was still engaged to Leonor Rivera
 2. Eduardo de Lete was madly in love with Consuelo.
 They Ask Me For Verses

 In 1882, shortly after his arrival in Madrid, Rizal joined the

Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle), a society
of Spaniards and Filipinos. Upon the request of the members of
this society, he wrote a poem entitled “Me Piden Versos” (They
Ask Me For Verses).
 Rizal as Lover of Books

 His collection of books included The Bible, Hebrew Grammar, Lives of the Presidents
of the United States from Washington to Johnson, Complete Works of Voltaire (9
volumes), Complete works of Horace (3 volumes), Complete works of C. Bernard (16
volumes), History of the French Revolution, The Wandering Jew, Ancient Poetry,
Works of Thucydides, The Byzantine Empire, The Characters by La Bruyere, The
Renaissance, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Works of Alexander
Dumas, Louis XIV and His Court, and numerous books in medicine, philosophy,
languages, history, geography, arts, and sciences.
 Rizal was deeply affected by Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s
The Wandering Jew.
 Rizal’s First Visit to Paris

During his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to

Paris, sojourning in this gay capital of France from June
17 to August 20, 1883. At first, he was billeted at the
Hotel de Paris on 37 Rue de Maubange; later, he moved
to a cheaper hotel on 124 Rue de Rennes in the Latin
Quarter.
 Rizal as a Mason

 Indue time, in March 1883, Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called
Acacia in Madrid. His reason for becoming a mason was to secure
Freemasonry’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. Still later, on February 15, 1892,
he was awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le Grand Orient de
France in Paris.
 Rizal played a lukewarm role in Freemasonry. His only writing was a
lecture titled “Science, Virtue and Labor”, which he delivered in 1889.
 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 Spoliarium winning first prize and Hidalgo’s
Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace, second prize.
 Studies completed in Spain

 Rizal completed his medical course in Spain. He was conferred the degree
of Licentiate in Medicine by the Unibersidad Central de Madrid on June
21, 1884.

 The next academic year (1884-1885) he studied and passed the subjects
leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Due to the fact, however,
that he did not present the thesis required for graduation nor paid the
corresponding fees, he was not awarded his Doctor’s diploma.
 Licentiate in Medicine awarded on June 12, 1884 with the rating “Fair”
Fifth year (1882-1883): Continuation of Medical Course in the University of Santo Tomas
Medical Clinic 1 Good
Surgical Clinic 1 Good
Obstetrical Clinic Fair
Legal Medicine Excellent

Sixth Year (1883-1884)

Medical Clinic 2 Good
Surgical Clinic 2 Very Good

Doctor of Medicine (Not Awarded)

Doctorate (1884-1885)
History of Medical Science Fair

Surgical Analysis Good

Normal Histology Excellent

 Studies completed in Spain

 Rizal
also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters, with
higher grades. He was awarded the degree of Licentiate in
Philosophy and Letters by the Unibersidad Central de Madrid
on June 19, 1885 (his 24th birthday), with the rating of
“Excellent” (Sobresaliente).
 1882-1883
Universal History 1 Very Good
General Literature Excellent

1883-1884
Universal History 1 Very Good
General Literature Excellent

1884-1885
Universal History 2 Excellent
Greek and Latin Literature Excellent (with prize)
Greek I Excellent (with prize)

1882-1883
Spanish Language Excellent (with scholarship)
Arabic Language Excellent (with scholarship)
 Studies completed in Spain

 Atlong last, Rizal completed his studies in Spain, by obtaining

the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters, he became
qualified to be a professor of humanities in any Spanish
University. And by receiving his degree of Licentiate in
Medicine, he became a full-fledged physician, qualified to
practice medicine.