Rizal in Spain

Rizal’s Travel to Spain

Rizal decided to continue his medical studies in Spain because of his unfortunate experiences in
UST. However, Rizal also had a “secret mission”: to observe the life, culture, customs, language,
industry, commerce, government, and laws of European nations to prepare him for liberating the
oppressed from Spanish tyranny. This was disclosed in his letter to his parents and from Paciano’s letter
to Rizal.

He kept his departure a secret, with only Paciano, Saturnina, Lucia, Antonio Rivera, Juan and
Sanday Valenzuela, Leonor Valenzuela, Pedro Paterno, Mateo Evangelista, the Jesuit priests of Ateneo,
and some friends (like Jose Cecilio). Before he went to Spain, letters were given to his parents and
Leonor Rivera.

The priests gave him a recommendation for Barcelona. He used the name Jose Mercado. He
boarded the ship Salvadora on May 3, 1882, which was bound for Singapore. In the ship, he was the
only Filipino. He befriended the captain Donato Lecha. To pass the time, he played chess with other
passengers. He arrived in Singapore on May 9, 1882. He registered at Hotel de la Paz, and he toured
the city for two days.

He then rode a French steamer, the Djemnah, which was bound for Europe. The ship has some
Filipinos on board. On May 18, 1882, they arrived at Colombo, Sri Lanka. From there, they traveled to
Guardafui, Africa, then Aden, then Suez. Five days commenced before they were able to travel through
the Suez Canal (built by Ferdinand de Lesseps and inaugurated on November 17, 1869)

From Port Said, the Mediterranean port of the Canal, they proceeded to Europe and reached
Naples on June 11, 1882. The next they, they docked in Marseilles where he disembarked. He then
traveled on June 15 and reached Barcelona the next day.

Rizal in Barcelona

Rizal first thought that Barcelona was ugly and the people indifferent. Eventually, he liked it for its
air of liberalism and freedom and the hospitality, courage, and open-heartedness of the people. He also
saw his friends from Ateneo in Barcelona.

During his stay in Barcelona, he wrote the essay Amor Patrio, under his pen name Laong Laan,
which he sent to his friend and the publisher of Diariong Tagalog (the first Manila bilingual newspaper)
Basilio Teodoro Moran. It was printed on August 20, 1882 in both Spanish and Tagalog (as translated by
Marcelo H. del Pilar). Much like A La Juventud Filipina, the essay has nationalistic flavors. Because of
the success of the article, Moran requested more articles, and Rizal wrote Los Viajes and Revisita de
Madrid (which was written on November 29, 1882 but was returned because it cannot be published for
the ceasing of the newspaper).

During his stay in Barcelona, he received some bad news. Cholera was ravaging the Philippines
and people were dying. Another news was the state of Leonor Rivera, which was according to Chengoy,
was unhappy and getting sick because of his absence.

Rizal in Madrid

Rizal left Barcelona to continue his studies in Madrid, as advised by his brother Paciano. On
November 2, 1882, he enrolled in Universidad Central de Madrid for Medicine and Philosophy and
Letters. While studying in the university, he was also studying painting and sculpting in the Academy of
Fine Arts of San Fernando; taking French, German, and English with private tutors; practiced fencing and
shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell; visited art galleries and museums and read books to
increase his cultural background.

In Madrid, he was frugal and budgeted his time and money strictly, except to buy lottery tickets in
every draw of Madrid Lottery. Because of the increase in rentals in the hacienda, Rizal’s allowance was
late or never arrived.

During his free time, he reads (so much that he was able to build a small library), writes, attend
reunions at the house of the Paterno brothers, practice fencing and shooting, and fraternized with
students while drinking coffee. On his first summer vacation in Madrid, he went to Paris, not only to enjoy
but to observe the French way living. On Saturday evenings, he visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y
Rey, a mayor of Manila during the reign of Carlos Ma. de la Torre and was promoted vice-president to the
council of the Philippines in the Ministry of Colonies (Ultramar). Don Pablo had a son, Rafael, and a
daughter, Consuelo. Rizal was attracted to Consuelo, but did not blossom because he was still engaged
and Eduardo de Lete, a friend of Rizal, was also in love with the girl. Rizal wrote the poem A La Señorita
C. O. y P. for Consuelo on August 22, 1883.

He also wrote Me Piden Versos, which was published on October 7, 2883 and he declaimed on
December 31, 1882, as a member of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino. The poem expressed his sadness and
melancholy.

Rizal as a Mason

In Spain, Rizal became associated with prominent Spaniard Masons, including Miguel Morayta,
Francisco Pi y Margal, Manuel Becerra, Emilio Junoy, and Juan Ruiz Zorilla. Rizal was impressed on
how the Masons openly criticize the government policies and attack the friars, which could not be done in
the Philippines. In March 1883, he joined the Masonic lodge Acacia to secure their aid when combatting
the friars in the Philippines. He later transferred to Lodge Solidaridad, where he became a Master Mason
on November 15, 1890. On February 15, 1892, he was awarded a diploma as a Master Mason by Le
Grand Orient de France in Paris.

He was not very active in Masonic affairs. His only Masonic writing was a lecture titled Science,
Virtue, and Labor, delivered in 1889, where he asserted that the duty of man is to work for the redemption
of humanity.

Rizal’s Salute to Luna and Hidalgo

On June 24, 1884, he participated in a contest of Greek language and won the gold medal. The
next day, he was the guest speaker in a banquet in honor of the victories of Juan Luna and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo at Restaurant Ingles. Luna’s Spoliarium and Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins Exposed
to the Populace, won first and second prize, respectively. Rizal gave a speech to honor them.

Rizal’s Involvement in Student Demonstrations

From November 20 – 22, 1884, riots by students of the university exploded, with Rizal
participating in the said events. The riots were caused by the address of Miguel Morayta, who proclaimed
the freedom of science and the teacher, leading to his excommunication and those who applauded his
address. Because of this, the students rose in violent demonstrations, with even the professors
supporting the students. The Rector resigned and Doctor Creus became the new Rector.

Rizal’s Completion of Studies in Spain

Rizal was conferred the degree of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad Central de Madrid on
June 21, 1884 and passed his subjects the next school year. However, he was not awarded his Doctor’s
diploma because he has not presented his thesis and paid the fees.

He was also awarded the degree Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters on June 19, 1885, with the
rating Sobresaliente (Excellent). Because of this, he became qualified to be a professor of humanities
and full-fledged physician. However, he knew that because of his ancestry and color, he will not be
accepted as a faculty of any university or college.

His academic record is as follows:

Medicine
1882 – 1883 1883 – 1884 1884 – 1885
Medical Clinic 1*** Medical Clinic 2*** History of Medical Science****
Surgical Clinic 1*** Surgical Clinic 2** Surgical Analysis***
Obstetrical Clinic**** Normal Histology*
Legal Medicine* Awarded Licentiate in
Medicine (Fair)
Philosophy and Letters
1882 – 1883 1883 – 1884 1884 – 1885
Universal History 1** Universal History 2* Spanish Literature*
General Literature* Greek and Latin Literature* Arabic Language*
Greek 1* Greek 2*
Hebrew*
 Rizal in Paris and Berlin
Rizal in Paris

After Rizal studied in Madrid, he went to Paris to specialize in ophthalmology. From

Madrid, he stopped at Barcelona to visit Maximo Viola, and during his stay he met Eusebio
Corominas, editor of La Publicidad. He wrote articles on the said newspaper and made a
sketch of its owner, Miguel Morayta.

By November 1885, Rizal was living in Paris, and worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de
Weckert, a French ophthalmologist for four months. When not working, he was visiting friends,
like the Pardo de Taveras, Juan Luna, and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. He also posed for
Luna’s paintings such as “The Death of Cleopatra” as an Egyptian priest and “The Blood
Compact” as Sikatuna. Rizal also learned to play the flute well and even composed songs,
such as Alin Mang Lahi. However, he admittedly cannot sing well, however.

Rizal in Heidelberg

He left Paris on February 1, 1886 and arrived in Heidelberg, Germany two days after.
He initially stayed in a boarding house with German students, where he was made a member of
a Chess Player’s club. He transferred to a boarding house near the University of Heidelberg a
few days after, and worked under Dr. Otto Becker. On April 22, 1886 he wrote a poem called A
Las Flores de Heidelberg, because the flowers in Heidelberg made him remember Calamba.

He spent three months of summer vacation at Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village near

Heidelberg, where he stayed with Dr. Karl Ullmer, a Protestant pastor, and his family. He left on
June 25, 1886.

On July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote his first letter in German to Professor Ferdinand
Blumentritt, Director of the Ateneo of Leitmeritz, Austria and an ethnologist interested in
Philippine languages. He sent him a book called Aritmetica, a mathematics book written by
Rufino Baltazar Hernandez in Tagalog and was published in UST Press in 1868. Blumentritt
was impressed by Rizal’s letter and sent him two books. This was the start of their friendship,
which lasted all their lives.

Rizal in Berlin

He left the University of Heidelberg on August 9, 1886 and arrived at Leipzig five days
later, where he attended lectures in its university. He also befriended Prof. Friedrich Ratzel, a
historian, and Dr. Hans Meyer, an anthropologist. He translated books into Tagalog (such as
Schiller’s William Tell and Andersen’s Fairy Tales), worked as a proof-reader, and corrected
some chapters on his novel. He found that living in Leipzig is cheap and stayed there for more
than two months.

On October 29, 1886, he left Leipzig for Dresden where he met Dr. Adolph Meyer and
after two days, left Dresden for Berlin, arriving on the same day. He lived in Berlin because he
wanted to gain further knowledge in ophthalmology, further his studies in sciences and
languages, observe political and economic conditions, associate with scientists and scholars,
and publish Noli Me Tangere. He lived a frugal life, working as an assistant by day and
attending lectures at the University of Berlin at night. He exercised his body and his German,
Italian, and French (even having private lessons in French with Madame Lucie Cerdole).

In here he met Dr. Feodor Jagor (German scientist-traveler and author of Travels in the
Philippines), Dr. Rudolf Virchow (a German anthropologist), Dr. Hans Virchow, (professor of
descriptive anatomy), Dr. W. Joest (a German geographer), and Dr. Karl Ernest Schweigger (a
German ophthalmologist, whom Rizal worked under). He became a member of the
Anthropological Society, the Ethnological Society, and the Geographical Society, making him
the first Asian to be awarded of such honors. He was also invited by Dr. Virchow to give a
lecture before the Ethnographic Society of Berlin, and he wrote a paper entitled Tagalische
Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical Art), published in 1887.
 In his letter to his sister Trinidad dated March 11, 1886, Rizal described his admiration
for German women. He described them as serious, diligent, educated, friendly, and not
interested in beautiful dresses and jewelry. However, he still praised the Filipinas’ delicacy of
feeling, fine manners, devotion, and hospitality.

He also admired German Christmas traditions and how men introduce themselves in
social gatherings.

In the winter of 1886, Rizal was broke and poor, eating only one meal a day, washing his
own clothes, and pawning Saturnina’s ring. Paciano tried to help but locusts and the collapse of
the sugar market did not ease the situation. Rizal’s health broke. This was a significant winter
because it Rizal experienced a painful episode in life and because of the publication of his first
novel, Noli Me Tangere.

Noli Me Tangere
Rizal, while still a student in Madrid, was inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle
Tom’s Cabin, which showed American slave-owners brutality to Negro slaves. He was then
motivated to write a novel that would depict the Spanish tyranny in the Philippines. He
proposed this idea on January 2, 1884, during a reunion with the Paternos, Graciano Lopez
Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente, Melecio Figueroa, and Valentin
Ventura, all of whom agreed. However, the plan to write with them did not materialize since
they all wanted to write about women and his companions gambled and flirted with Spanish
ladies. Rizal decided to write the novel alone.

He started writing by the end of 1884 in Madrid, finishing about half, the next one fourth
in 1885 in Paris, and the remaining in Wilhemsfeld in 1886. During the cold winter in Berlin, he
revised the novel, but he did not think it was ever going to be published. Then Maximo Viola
came in Berlin, loaned him money, and agreed to finance the publishing of the novel. By
February 21. 1887, the novel was ready for publication and the novel was published by the
printing shop Berliner Bruchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft for 300 pesos for 2 000 copies.

During the publication, Berlin authorities came to Rizal’s house and asked for his
passport. Rizal was not able to produce any and he was asked to have it in four days or he
would be deported. He and Viola asked the help of the Spanish embassy, but they had no
power to do so. He went to the German police to apologize and ask why he was going to be
eported. The police said that they thought Rizal was a French spy because he frequents visiting
little towns, entered Germany from Paris, and knew and loved the culture of France. Rizal
explained his situation, and the Germans, impressed, let him go.

On March 21, 1887, the novel came off the press. Rizal sent copies to some of his
friends and gave Viola the galley proofs of the novel as a token of appreciation.

Noli Me Tangere means “Touch Me Not”, which Rizal adopted from the Gospel of St.
John, Chapter 20, verses 13 - 17 (erroneously identified in a letter to Hidalgo as from St. Luke).
He dedicated the novel to the Philippines. The novel was a true story of Philippine conditions,
and its characters were based from real life: Maria Clara from Leonor Rivera, Elias and Ibarra
from Rizal, Pilosopo Tasio from Paciano, Padre Salvi from Padre Antonio Piernavieja (an
Augustinian friar in Cavite), Capitan Tiago from Capitan Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas, Doña
Victorina from Doña Agustina Medel, Crispin and Basilio from the Crisostomo brothers of
Hagonoy, and Padre Damaso from a typical tyrannical friar. Rizal’s work was praised by his
friends, recognizing that his work will be attacked, but he was telling the conditions of the
Philippines.

European Tour with Viola

After Rizal received P 1 000 from Paciano (forwarded by Juan Luna from Paris), he paid
his loan from Viola and the two traveled through Europe. They first visited Postdam in
Germany, then at May 11, 1887, they started their tour to Dresden. Their travel coincided with
the regional flora exposition, visited Dr. Adolph Meyer, visited the Museum of Art, and met Dr.
Jagor who advised them to wire Blumentritt before visiting him so that he may not be shocked.
They visited Teschen (now Decin, Czechoslovakia), and on May 13, 1887, arrived at Leitmeritz,
Bohemia (now Litomerice, Czechoslovakia) to visit Blumentritt, who carried a sketch of Rizal to
identify him and stayed for three days. During his stay in Leitmeritz, Blumentritt toured them,
introduced them to scholars.

After this, they visited Prague and toured by Dr. Willkomm, they went to Brunn, then on
May 20, to Vienna and met the novelist Norfenfals. On May 24, they left Vienna in a river boat
to sight see through the Danube River, which ended in Lintz. They went to Salzburg, then
Munich, Nuremberg, Ulm, Stuttgart, Baden, Rheinfall, then to Schaffhausen, Switzerland from
June 2 – 3. From here they went to Basel (Bale), Bern, Lausanne, then crossed Leman Lake to
Geneva. They stayed for fifteen days (at which during Rizal’s birthday, treated Viola to a meal),
and on June 23, Viola went back to Barcelona while Rizal continued touring to Italy. He visited
Turin, Milan, Venice, Florence, and on June 27, Rome. On June 29, he visited the Vatican.
After this, he planned to go home.

Homecoming
Even though he was warned by his brother and friends not to return because of the
publication of Noli Me Tangere, he still decided to go home to operate his mother’s eyes, serve
the Filipino people, find out the effects of his novel, and inquire about the silence of Leonor
Rivera.

He left Rome for AMrseilles, and from there, boarded Djemnah on July 3, 1887. On July
30, he transferred to Haiphong in Saigon, which left for Manila on August 2. The steamer
arrived in Manila on August 5, and returned to Calamba three days after.

He established a clinic, where his mother became his first patient. People flocked
around his clinic, where Rizal was known as Doctor Uliman. His practice was lucrative, his fees
reasonable, and by February 1888, he earned around P 5 000 of medical fees. With his
earnings, he opened a gymnasium for the youth, inviting them to practice gymnastics, fencing,
and shooting. However, during his stay in Calamba, he was not able to visit Leonor since his
parents forbade him because Leonor’s parents do not approve of him. During his stay also, his
sister Ypia died and malicious rumors against him were being circulated.

Rizal was greeted with joy when he arrived in Calamba, but his loved ones also worried
about him also, for good reason. Governor General Emilio Terrero requested Rizal’s presence
in Malacañang Palace because Noli, according to them, contained subversive ideas. Rizal
denied it, and Terrero asked for a copy. He asked the Jesuit priests to ask for the copy that he
sent to them, but they did not want to part with the book. A friend gave Rizal a copy, gave this
to Terrero, and because of the contents, assigned Rizal a bodyguard, Don Jose Taviel de
Andrade, for his protection. He and the bodyguard became good friends.

Though Terrero did not find anything wrong, others were not. Msgr. Pedro Payo, a
Dominican Archbishop of Manila, sent a copy to Father Rector of Gregorio Echavarria of UST to
be examined by a committee. The report of the committee concluded that the novel was
subversive. Terrero, dissatisfied and aware of Dominican bias against Rizal, sent the Noli to the
Permanent Commission of Censorship, which reported, through the Augustinian cura of Tondo
Father Salvador Font, that it was subversive. The report was published in newspapers, much to
Rizal’s enemies’ glee. However, this only made it popular.

Attackers of the novel did not stop. Father Jose Rodriguez, Prior od Guadalupe,
published eight pamphlets with as general heading Cuestiones de Sumo Interes to blast Noli
and other anti-Spanish writings. These pamphlets were:

1. Porque no los he de leer? (Why should I not read them?)

2. Guardados de ellos. Porque? (Beware of them. Why?)
3. Y que me dice usted de la peste? (And what can you tell me of plague?)
4. Porque triunfan los impios? (Why do the impious triumph?)
5. Cree usted que de versa no hay purgatorio? (Do you really think there is really
no purgatory?)
6. Hay no hay infierno? (Is there or is there no hell?)
 7. Que le parece a usted de los libelos? (What do you think of these libels?)
8. Confesion o condenacion? (Confession or damnation?)

Copies were sold in churches and Filipinos were forced to buy them, but the Filipinos did
not believe what was written.

Even in the Senate of the Spanish Cortes, the Noli was condemned. General Pardo de
Slamanca on April 1, 1888, General Luis de Pando in April 12, and Sr. Fernando Vida on June
11 all attacked the novel. Vicente Barrantes, also criticized Noli in an article published on
January 1890 in the newspaper La España Moderna.

However, del Pilar, Lopez Jaena, Ponce, Regidor, other reformists, Father Sanchez,
Don Segismundo Moret (former Minister of the Crown), Morayta, and Blumentritt defended the
ovel. Rev. Vicente Garcia, under the pen name Justo Desiderio Magalang, defended the Noli
and attacked Fr. Rodriguez’s arguments, saying that Rizal was not ignorant, that he only
attacked the bad Spanish officials, and that if the reading of the novel is a mortal sin, then Fr.
Rodriguez committed a big one.

During this time of controversy, the price of the novel soared to fifty pesos from five
pesetas (about one peso).

Because of the contents of the novel, Terreto ordered a government investigation

regarding tenant relations and taxes of the haciendas. This included the Dominican-owned
Calamba hacienda. On December 30, 1887, the governor of Laguna issued the investigation of
agrarian conditions.

Rizal was sought for his help in identifying the grievances which included the scope of
the hacienda, the increase in profits because of increase in rent, the failure of hacienda owners
to contribute to fiestas, education, and agriculture, the dispossession of tenants of their land for
flimsy reasons, and high rates of interests resulting in confiscation of assets. The help of Rizal
infuriated his enemies and the friars did what they could to eliminate him, which was not
supported by Terrero. Death threats were issued, prompting Rizal to go away. He was advised
by Terrero to do the same. He decided to do so because he was jeopardizing the safety of his
family and he could fight his enemies better by writing in foreign countries.

He left Calamba on February 1888, bound to Hong Kong.