Chapter 6: In Sunny Spain (1882-1885)

1. Introduction

After Rizal finished his 4th yr med course in UST he

decided to complete his studies in Spain. It was
because UST was a Dominican-owned university that
had antiquated method of instruction, and the
Dominican professors racial prejudice against Filipino
students. Spain was a constitutional monarchy which
granted human rights to people but Rizal had another
reason other than completing his studies in Spain, it
was his secret mission
2. Rizals Secret Mission

To observe keenly the life and culture, languages and

customs, industries and commerce, and governments
and laws of the European nations; in order to prepare
himself in liberating his oppressed people from
Spanish tyranny.
May 21, 1982 (MANILA): The Mission was
disclosed by Paciano
3. Secret Departure for Spain

Rizals departure was a secret in order to avoid

detection by Spanish authorities & Friars. It was even
for his parents, for they wouldnt have allowed him if
they knew. The only one who knew were: his older
brother Paciano, his uncle Antonio Rivera, Father of
Leonor Rivera, his sisters Neneng & Lucia, the
Velenzuela family Capitan Juan & Capitana Sanday
and their daughter Orang, Pedro A. Paterno, his
comrade Mateo Evangelista, the Ateneo Jesuit
Fathers, some intimate friends like Chengoy/ Jose M.
Cecilio.
Before his secret departure, he wrote a farewell letter
to his parents and Leonor Rivera (his significant other)
May 3, 1882 (DEPARTING FROM SPAIN): Rizal

boarded on the Spanish steamer Salvadora bound

for Singapore.
On Board were sixteen passengers including himself,
with five or six ladies, many children, and the rest were
gentlemen. He was the only Filipino, the rest were
Spaniards, British, Indian Negroes

Donato Lecha- ship captain; from Austria, Spain. He

befriended Rizal. Rizal described Lecha. as an affable
man (much more refined than his other countrymen
and colleagues.
May 8, 1882 (APPROACHING SINAGPORE): Rizal
saw a beautiful island. He remembered Talin Island
with Susong Dalga
4. SINGAPORE

May 9, 1882 (SINGAPORE): the Salvadora docked at

Singapore. Rizal landed and then registered to Hotel
de la Paz and spent two days sightseeing soiree of the
city ( a colony of England). He saw the famous
Botanical Garden, the beautiful Buddhist temples, the
busy shopping district, and the statue of Sir Thomas
Stanford Raffles (founder of Singapore)

5. From Singapore to Colombo

May 11,1882 (SINGAPORE): Rizal transferred to a
French steamer, Djemnah, which left Singapore for
Europe on. Djemnah was a larger and cleaner vessel
which carried more passengers. (British, Dutch,
Spaniards, Malays, Siamese, and Filipinos (Mr. & Mrs.
Salazar, Mr. Vicente Pardo, and Jose Rizal)
French was mostly spoken. Rizal found out that his
French book which he learned at Ateneo could not be
understood. By conversing daily with the French he
improved his French Language.
May 17, 1882 (POINT GALLE): Djemnah reached
Point Galle, a seacoast town in Southern Ceylon (now
Sri Lanka).
May 18, 1882 (COLOMBO): Colombo is the capital of
Ceylon. Rizal wrote in his diary, Colombo is more
beautiful, smart and elegant than Singapore, Point
Galle, and Manila.
6. First Trip Through Suez Canal
May 1882 (AFRICA): from Colombo, Djemnah
continued to voyage crossing the Indian Ocean to
Cape of Guardafui, Africa. Rizal sighted the barren
coast of Africa, which he called inhospitable land but
famous.
May 1882 (ADEN): The next stopover. From aden,
Djemnah proceeded to the city of Suez, the Red Sea
terminal of the Suez Canal. Rizal was impressed with
the beautiful moonlight which reminded him of
Calamba and his family.
May 1882 (SUEZ CANAL): five days for Djemnah to
traverse Suez Canal. The canal was built by Ferdinand
de Lesseps (French diplomat engineer). It was
inaugurated on November 17, 1869.
Date between end of May 1882 to first week of june
(PORT SAID): Port Said is the Mediterranean terminal
of Suez Canal. Rizal was fascinated by the multi-racial
inhabitants speaking babel of tongues.
7. Naples and Marseilles
June 11, 1882 (NAPLES):Rizal reached Naples.
Night of June 12, 1882 (Marseilles): the steamer
docked at the French harbor of Marseilles. He then
visited the famous Chateu dlf, where Dantes, hero of
The Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned. He liked
to read a novel by Alexander Dumas when he was a
student of Ateneo. He stayed two and a half days in
Marseilles
8. Barcelona
Afternoon of June 15, 1882 (Marseille): Rizal left
Marseille by train for the last lap of his trip to Spain.
June 16, 1882 (Barcelona): After the passport
inspection at Port-Bou, he reached Barcelona. Rizal
thought of Barcelona ugly, dirty little inns, and
inhospitable residents. Later he came to like the city
and found it with freedom and liberalism, and its people
were open-hearted, hospitable, and courageous.He

enjoyed promenading along Las Ramblas, most

famous street in Barcelona.

9. Amor Patrio
June 1882 (SPAIN): Rizal wrote Amor Patrio (Love of
Country)
August 20, 1882 (MANILA): Amor Patrio under Rizals
pen name Laong Laan appeared in print in Diariong
Tagalog on. (In Spanish and Tagalog texts). Spanish
translation by Rizal. Tagalog translation by M.H. del
Pilar.
Rizal wrote the 2nd article Los Viajes (Travels) for
Diariong Tagalog.
Nov 29, 1882 (MADRID): 3rd article Revisita de

Madrid (Review of Madrid)

10. Manila Moves to Madrid

September 1882 (MANILA): Cholera Epidemic. Many
people died daily.
September 15, 1882 (CALAMBA): folks having
afternoon novenas to San Roque & nocturnal

processions & prayers to stop the epidemic

Chengoys letter to Rizal: about the lonely and sad
Leonor Rivera getting thinner
May 26, 1882 (MADRID): Paciano advised Rizal to
finish med in Madrid
11. Life in Madrid
Nov 3, 1882 (MADRID): Rizal enrolled Med, and Philo
& Letters in Universidad Central de Madrid
Rizal lived frugally. He spent his leisure time reading &
writing. On sat evenings he visited the home of Don
Pablo Ortiga y Rey (father of Rafael and Consuelo).
Don Pablo has been city mayor of manila during liberal
gov. genl Carlos Ma. De la Torre (1869-1871).

12. Romance with Consuelo Ortiga y Perez

Rizal was ashy small man but possessed an aura of
charisma. Don Pablos Daughters (Consuelo) fell in
love with him. Rizal was attracted to Consuelos beauty
and vivacity.
August 22, 1883 (MADRID): Rizal dedicated a
poem entitled A La Senorita C.O.y P. for
Consuelo. However he backed out from his
romance with Consuelo for he was still engaged
with Leonor Rivera, and his friend & co-worker
in the Propaganda Movement, Eduardo de Lete
was in love with Consuelo.
13. They Ask Me For Verses
1882 shortly after his arrival (MADRID): Rizal joined
the Circulo Hispano-Filipino (society of Filipino and
Spaniards).
Dec 31,1882 (MADRID): He wrote a poem entitled Me
Piden Versos as requested by the members then
declaimed it.

14. Rizal as Lover of Books

A favorite pastime of Rizal in Madrid was reading

books. He was able to build a fair-sized private library
15. Rizals First Visit to Paris (1883)
June 17 to August 20, 1883 (PARIS): Rizal sojourning
in this gay capital of France, Paris.
He commented in a letter for his family Paris is the
costliest capital in Europe
16. Rizal As Mason
March 1883 (MADRID): Rizal joined the Masonic lodge
called Acacia in Madrid. His reason for becoming a
mason was to secure Freemasonrys aid in his fight
against the Friars in the Philippines
Nov 15, 1890 (MADRID): he transferred to Lodge
Solidaridad where he became a master mason
Feb 15, 1892 (MADRID): he was awarded master
mason by Le Grand Orient de France
1889 (MADRID): he delivered his Masonic writing
lecture entitled Science, Virtue, and Labor
17. Financial Worries
After Rizals departure for Spain: Calamba was in a
very terrible state:
Harvest of rice and sugarcane failed because of
drought and locust
Hacienda Manger raised the rentals of the lands
cultivated by the Rizal Family. It was because Don
Francisco had to deny giving a turkey to the manager
when the manager asked for it (which he usually does).
It was because he needed to breed them first for a
reason that there were only few surviving left because
of a pest infestation.
Due to the hard times in Calamba, Rizal had late or
none arrival of allowances to Madrid
June 24, 1884 (MADRID): because Rizal was broke,
he was unable to eat his meals for the day.
18. Rizals Salute to Luna and Hidalgo
June 25, 1884 (MADRID): There was an evening
banquet, sponsored by the Filipino community to
celebrate the double victory of the Filipino Artist in the
National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid- Lunas
Spolarium winning first prize and Hidalgos Christian
Virgins Exposed to the Populace, second prize.
19. Rizal Involved in Student Demonstrations
November 20, 21, and 22, 1884 (MADRID): the serene
city exploded in bloody riots by the students of the
Central University. Rizal and other Filipino students
participated.
20. Studies Completed in Spain
June 21, 1885 (MADRID): Rizal Completes his medical
course in Spain. He was conferred the degree of
Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de
Madrid
1884-85 (MADRID): he studied and passed all
subjects leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine.