Chapter 6
IN SUNNY SPAIN(1882-1885)
• Rizal’s Secret Mission
To observe keenly the life, culture,, languages
and customs and laws of the European nations
in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of
liberating his people.
- Djemnah with 50 passengers on board
• Secret Departure for Spain
Paciano, uncle Antonio Rivera, his sisters (Neneng and
Lucia), The Valenzuela family, Pedro Paterno, Mateo
Evangelista, Chengoy and the Jesuit priest
• May 3, 1882
- departed on board Salvadora
- 16 passengers- the only Filipino on board with
Spaniards, British, and Indian Negroes as felllow
passengers
• Singapore
- May 9 when Salvadora docked Singapore
- Registered at Hotel dela Paz
- Spent two days sightseeing: Botanical gardens,
Buddhist temples, shopping district and statue of
Sir Thomas Raffles (founder of Singapore)
Colombo
• From Singapore to Colombo
- Djemnah – French steamer which left Singapore for
Europe on May 11
- British, French, Dutch, Spaniards, Malays, Siamese
and Filipinos (Mr.&Mrs. Salazar, Vicente Pardo and Jose
Rizal)
- French was mostly spoken but Jose to his surprise and
embarassment found that his book of French is
inadequate.
- May 17, Djemnah reached point Galle (seacost of
Ceylon) “ Picturuesque but lonely and quiet and at the
same time sad”
Suez Canal
-Colombo (Capital of Ceylon)
“ Colombo is more beautiful, smart and elegant that
Singapore, Point Galle and Manila”
- Africa
- “ Inhospitable land but famous”
• First Trip to Suez Canal
-From Aden the Djemnah proceeded to the Red Sea
terminal
- it took the Djemnah five days to traverse through the
Suez caal which was built by Ferdinand de Lesseps
(November 17, 1869)
- Port Said – he was fascinated to hear the multi-racial
inhabitants speaking a Babel of tongues.
BARCELONA
Las Ramblas
• Barcelona
- May 15 leaving Marseilles by train, finally reaching his
destination – Barcelona on June 16, 1882
-The greatest city of Cataluña and Spain's 2nd largest
city “ IT was ugly, with dirty little inns and inhospitable
residents” – “town’s most ugly side
-There is an atmosphere of freedom and liberalism and
the people were open-hearted , hospitable, and
courageous.
-Las Ramblas – most famous street in Barcelona
• Amor Patrio (Love of Country)
- nationalistic essay under the pen-name Laong Laan
and sent to Diariong Tagalog, Basilio Teodoro Moran,
publisher.
• Los Viajes (Travels)and Revista de Madrid (Review of
Madrid)
Central University of
Madrid
MADRID
• Manila Moves to Madrid
- Cholera epidemic ravaging Manila and the provinces.
(Paciano’s letter dated september 15,1882)
- Unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was getting thinner
because of the absence of a loved ones. (Chengoy’s letter)
- Paciano adviced his younger brother (dated May 26. 1882)
to finish the medical course in Madrid.
• Life in Madrid
- Nov. 3 enrolled in the Universidad Central de
Madrid in two courses – Medicine and Philosophy
and Letters
- Studied painting and sculpture in Academy of Fine
Arts of San Fernando
- Took lessons in French, German and English under
private instructors
- Practiced fencing and shooting in the Hall of Arms y
Carbonell
- Visited art galleries and museums and read all subjects
under the sun
- Led a Spartan life in Madrid – lived frugally, spending
his money on food, clothing, lodging and books
- His only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for
a lottery
- He spent his leisure time reading and writing in his
boarding house, attending reunions at the house of the
Paterno brothers and practicing fencing and shooting at
the gymnasium
- Summer twilights fraternized with the students
- Saturday evenings he visited the home of Don Pablo
Ortiga
• Romance with Consuelo Ortiga y Perez
• They Ask Me for Verses “Mi Piden Versos”
- personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve
reception of the Circulo-Hispano Filipino
• As Lover of Books
- purchased books from a second-hand bookstore
owned by Señor Roses
-Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Wandering Jew – aroused his
sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people
First Visit to Paris
(1883)”Costliest capital of
Europe”
- Purpose: To improve his
minds by observing closely
the French way of life and
spending many hours in
the museums, botanical
gardens, libraries and art
galleries, and the hospitals,
including Laennec Hospital,
Dr. Nicaise, and the
Larisboisiere Hospital,
where he observed the
examination of different
diseases of women
• Rizal as a Mason
- Rizal was impressed by way the Spanish Masons
openly and freely criticized the the government policies
and lambasted the friars
- Acacia –March 1883
Reason: To secure freemasonry’s aid in his fight
against the friars in the Philippines, he intended to utilize
Freemasonry as his shield to combat them
-Lodge Solidaridad- became a Master Mason – he was
awarded as a Master Mason by Le Grant Orient de
France in Paris
- “Science, Virtue and Labor” only masonic writing
delivered in 1889
- Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce and MH del
Pilar
• Financial Worries
-Due to hard times in Calamba the monthly
allowances were late in arrival which cause much
suffering to him.
- Paciano was forced to sell Jose’s pony in order to
send the money to Madrid.
- Touching incident on June 24, 1884
• Salute to Luna and Hidalgo
- National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid
Juan Luna – Spolarium (1st Prize)
Felix Ressurection Hidalgo – Christian Virgins
Exposed to the Populace (2nd)
Spolarium
Juan Luna
Felix R. Hidalgo
• Rizal Involved in the
Student Demonstration
“ Freedom of Science and
Teacher”
Don Miguel Morayta –
Professor of History – such
liberal view was
condemned by the Catholic
Bishops and promptly
excommunicated Dr.
Morayta and those who
applauded the speech.
- Recounting the tumultuous
rioting to his family in an
open letter dated
November 26, 1884
• Studies Completed in Spain
- Was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by
the University on June 21, 1884
- The next academic year studied and passed all the
subjects leading to the degree of the Doctor of
Medicine – however:
1. That he did not present the thesis required for
graduation
2. Paid the corresponding fees
- he was not awarded the Doctor’s Diploma
- Also finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters
with the rating of “Excellent”
- HE did not bother to secure post graduate degree – “I
doubt if the Dominican fathers will appoint me in UST