TRAVELS OF DR. JOSE
RIZAL
First Journey Abroad
(1882 – 1887)
REASONS OF JOSE FIRST TRIP
ABROAD
1. He found the classroom in UST inadequate for his
academic curiosity. Jose decided to pursue his medical
course in Europe.
2. Secret Mission – 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 was not known to his parents. Why?
Who are the people that support him?
TRAVEL TO SPAIN
On May 3, 1882, Jose left on board the Spanish
steamer SALVADORA bound to SINGAPORE
Ship Captain – Donato Lecha
5 Days sailing
He used the name JOSE MERCADO
Stop- over for 2 days in Singapore
Jose registered at Hotel dela Paz.
He spent most of his time in visiting historic places,
temples, botanical garden, art galleries and
statue of St. Thomas Stanford Raffles.
On May 11, 1882 he boarded Djemah bound to France.
Most of the passengers were French, thus he practiced
the French language that he learned during his Ateneo
days, he knew that he needed to study more to
become fluent in the language.
His ticket was for first class cabin with carpeted floor,
bed with springs, curtain and wash basin
May 17, 1882 Djemah made its stopover at the POINT
GALLE, a seacoast town in southern CEYLON (now Sri
Lanka)
Jose was enchanted because of the beautiful scenery in
the island how ever it was full of loneliness
From Ceylon the ship headed North
May 18 docked at COLOMBO, capital of Ceylon.
Rizal wrote, “Colombo is more beautiful, smart
and elegant than Singapore, point Galle and
Manila
The Djemnah continued the voyage
crossing the Indian ocean to the Cape of
Guardafui, the barren coast of Africa
which for Rizal was an inhospitable but
famous.
The next stop over was in ADEN. This was the first time
Rizal stepped in African soil and saw real camels
From Aden, the Djemnah arrived at the Port Said in
the City of Suez, the Red Sea Terminal of Suez
Canal. Rizal was fascinated to hear the muli-racial
inhabitants speaking “A babel tongues, Arabic,
Egyptian, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish etc.
• From PORT SAID, the ship trans versed the SUEZ CANAL and on June 11,
arrived at NAPOLI (now Naples, Italy) Passengers were allowed to move
around the place and Rizal never wasted time to explore the first European
territory in his sight
After the brief stop at NAPOLI, the ship proceeded to
MARSEILLES and arrived at the French harbor on
June 12,1882. He visited the famous chateau d ‘If
where Dantes the Hero of the count of Monte Cristo
was imprisoned. In the afternoon of June 15 Rizal left
Marseilles by train bound for Barcelona.
• Spain
• The train crossed PYRENEES and stopped for a day at PORT BOU for
passport inspection and they finally reached BARCELONA on June 16, 1882,
the second largest city of Spain and the greatest city of CATALUÑA
Barcelona, Spain
PORT BOU
• Jose ‘s first impression of the city was not favorable for he
happened to stay upon his arrival at a dirty inn wherein the staff
and guests were indifferent to him. However, as he stayed in the
city this impression had changed and found Barcelona to be really
a great city. The people were courageous open-hearted and
hospitable and most of al the atmosphere of freedom and
liberalism was felt. Filipinos in Barcelona, some of whom were his
schoolmates in Ateneo, welcomed him. He was given a party at
their favorite café in Plaza de Cataluña with customary exchange
of toast. The acquaintances and attraction of the city and good
customs of the Spanish people were the opposite of those in the
Philippines.
• While in Barcelona Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay entitled “Love of Country
(Amor Patrio). which was his first Article written in Spain’s soil under the
penname LAONG LAAN. He sent this to his friend Basilio Teodoro Moran,
publisher of Diariong Tagalog, the first Manila newspaper that published both
Spanish and Tagalogs
• This Amor Patrio was published on August 10,1882 in two texts. The Tagalog
text was the translation made by Marcelo H del Pilar. In this essay, he urged the
Filipinos to love the Philippines, their FATHERLAND. He wanted them to be free,
to be people with dignity and honor according to God’s plan and slaves. He was
requested by his friend to write more articles because it had caused a sensation
to the readers because of its nationalistic fervor. In response to the request, he
wrote the second article for Diariong Tagalog “LOS VIAJES” (Travels). His Third
article entitled REVISTA DE MADRID (Review of Madrid) was returned to him for
Diariong Tagalog had stopped publication because of lack of funds.
• November 3, 1882, he went to Madrid Spain and he enrolled at the Central
University of Madrid for the Licentiate in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters. He
followed systematic and well-organized schedule of study because he wanted to
learn so much within a short time. To enhance his artistic talents, he also took up
lessons in painting and sculpture at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
(Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando) as well as lessons in French, German and
English under private instructors.
• During his free hours, he practices fencing and shooting or he attended lectures
on art galleries and museums and read books on all subjects including military
engineering. He rigidly budgets 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 non-fiction novels, which a habit he acquired early in
life at home. With many books he had read, two books left a deep impression on
him that heightened his sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people. These
were Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and The Wandering Jew by
Eugene Sue
Rizal joined the Hispano-Philippine Circle (Circulo Hispano-Filipino), a
society of Spaniards and Filipinos shortly after his arrival in Madrid. Upon
the request of the members of this society, He wrote a poem entitled, They
ask me for Verses (Me Piden Verses), which he personally declaimed
during the New Year’s Eve reception in Madrid, December 31, 1882. In this
sad poem he poured out the cry of his agonizing heart, his loneliness and
sadness of being alone in a foreign land.
• Among the significant developments in Rizal’s life in Madrid was his
becoming a MASON. He came in close contact with the Spanish liberals
and republicans who were mostly masons. He was impressed by the way
the Spanish masons openly and freely criticized and attacked the
government and the church which could not be done in the Philippines for
they will be jailed or executed if they do so. He discovered the political
possibilities of becoming a Mason, so he joined the Masonic Lodge called
Acacia in Madrid with the Masonic name “DIMASALANG”
Rizal in Paris
• With Rizal’s relentless search for relevant education and advance studies, he went
to Paris, France and Berlin, Germany to specialize in Ophthalmology because he
wanted to cure his mother’s eye ailment. On his way to Paris, he stopped at
Barcelona to visit his friend Maximo, Viola, a medical student who belonged to a
rich family in San Miguel, Bulacan and Don Miguel Morayta, the owner of La
Publicidad. He arrived in Paris in October of 1885 and stayed there for four months
as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert a leading French Ophthalmologist. After
four months and concentrated study, he learned the medical techniques of an eye
operation.
• During his stay in paris, he visited the studio of Juan Luna, the home of Pardo de
Tavera and felix resurrection Hidalgo. They had long hours of discussions on the
many problems of art and learned techniques of his own. He helped Luna by
posing as a model in several paintings like “The Death of Cleopatra” where he
posed as the Egyptian priest. In another of Luna’s great paintings “The Blood
Compact” he 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 about eye ailment prompted Jose to go
to Germany, where the cost of living was cheaper than in Paris. On 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 ophthalmologist. He attended he lecture of Doctor Becker
and prof. Wilhelm Kuehne at the University. During weekends, Rizal visited scenic spots
around Heidelberg, the famous Heidelberg Castle, the romantic Neckar River, the old
churches. He noticed that the German Catholics and Protestants practiced ecumenism for
they lived together in harmony and cordiality. Half of the town churches was used by
Catholics and the other by the Protestants.
•
• During his stay in Heidelberg he lived with a Protestant Pastor Karl Ullmer, who became a
good friend. The two had many friendly conversations on the merits of Catholicism and
Protestantism.
• Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the bank of the Neckar River thus he
wrote the poem “ A Las Flores de Heidelberg”( To the flowers of Heidelberg)
In Leipzig, Dresden and Berlin
• On August 8, 1886, three days after the fifth centenary celebration of the
University of Heidelberg Rizal left the city. He boarded a train and arrived in
Leipzig on August 14, 1886. He attended some lectures at the University of Leipzig
on history and psychology. He befriended Professor Friedrich Ratzel, a famous
German historian and Dr. Hans Meyer, a German anthropologist.
• In Leipzig Rizal translated Schiller’s William tell from the german into tagalog so
that Filipinos might know the story of that champion of Swiss independence. He
also translated into Tagalog for his nephews and nieces Hans Christian
Andersen’s Fairy Tales.
• Rizal found out that the cost of living in Leipzig was cheapest in Europe so that he
stayed for two months and half in this German city.
• On October 29 he left Leipzig for Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph B Meyer,
Director of the Anthropological and Ethnological museum. He stayed two days in
the city
• In November 1, morning Rizal left Dresden by train reaching Berlin in the
evening.
• In Berlin, Rizal worked in the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger and
he also became member of Anthropological Society, Ethnological
Society and the Geographical Society of Berlin. He also took private
lessons in French, observed their customs, touring the place and
attended lectures in the University of Berlin.
• It was in Berlin when Rizal’s health suffered because of lack of
nourishment due to the late arrival of his allowance from the
Philippines. Maximo Viola became his savior when he arrived before
Christmas Day. Having seen his situation, Viola loaned some money for
his novel, the Noli Me Tangere. On March 21, 1887, his novel was
published. As a sign of his gratitude to Viola, Rizal gave the gallery
proof of the published novel. On May 11,1887, they went for grand tour
in Europe