Jose Rizal Face
Travels
May 3, 1882
Rizal left Philippines to complete his studies in Spain. He boarded the Salvadora using a passport of the
name Jose Mercado.
Secret Mission
Observe the life and culture, customs, governments and laws of European nations in order to prepare
himself in the task of liberating the Filipino people from Spanish tyranny.
Rizal’s departure was kept secret to avoid detection from Spanish authorities and the friars.
Singapore
May 9, 1882
The Salvadora docked at Singapore
The first stop over of Rizal on his way to Spain is Singapore, which he spent for sightseeing the city
including its famed Botanical Garden, Buddhist temples, the monument of Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles,
the founder of Singapore.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
It was Rizal’s journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka that was important for him to improve his knowledge of the
French language while on board a French ship, Djemnah.
Egypt
In route through the Suez Canal, Rizal got off at Red Sea terminal and was amazed by the impressive
moonlight scenery in Suez and was engrossed with the multicultural people and language of the place.
Naples, Italy
June 11, 1882
Rizal went around the city of Naples. This was the first European ground he set foot on.
Merseilles, France
June 13, 1882
Rizal arrived early in the morning and boarded at the Noalles Hotel.
June 15, 1882
He left for Barcelona in an express train.
Barcelona, Spain
He wrote his first article (“Amor Patrio”) abroad. It was published in Diaryong Tagalog.
Madrid, Spain
Rizal studied in University Central de Madrid. He then had a love affair with Consuelo Ortiga y Perez, the
daughter of Don Pablo.
Paris
He stayed at the Hotel de Paris, but them moved to a cheaper hotel. He was amazed by the attractive
scenery and he often visited museums. After departure for Spain, things turned from bad to worse in
Calamba.
Germany
He visited Paris and Germany to specialize in ophthalmology.
He stopped over at Barcelona, on his way to Paris, to visit his friend Maximo Viola.
He met Dr. Feodor Jagor author of Travels in the Philippines, a book that Rizal admired because of its
keen observances in the Philippines setting.
With the help of Maximo Viola, who gave him the necessary funds to publish the novel, Noli Me Tangere
was published.
Switzerland
Accompanied by his friend Maximo Viola.
They visited Ferdinand Blumentritt.
Rizal and Viola arted ways in Geneva.
Italy
After a week of staying in Rome, he prepared to return to the Philippines.
He had already written to his father that he was coming home.
United States
He left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome. He was onboard in a steamer which was “the
second largest ship in the world” – The Great Eastern.
London
London was a safe place from the attacks of Spanish tyranny.
He was a boarder of the Beckett family.
Fell in love with Gertrude Beckett.
Rizal also wrote his first article in La Solidaridad, a patriotic newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez
Jaena.
Society founded by Rizal in Paris was the R.D.L.M. Society. The aim of the secret society is the
propagation of all useful knowledge in the Philippines. Another aims is the redemption of the Malay
race.
Belgium
In Brussels Rizal was busy writing his second novel “El Filibusterismo”.
The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse. The management of the Dominican hacienda
continually raised the land rents.
Madrid
Rizal sought the help of the Filipino colony to protest the injustices of the Dominicans.
His life was full of misfortunes.
He further learned from Saturnina’s letter that their parents had been forcibly ejected from their home.
Biarritz
Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz on the fabulous French Riviera. He was the guest of the
Boustead family.
He had finished the last chapter of his second novel, El Filibusterismo.
Rizal was in-love with Nellie Boustead, a daughter of the Boustead family.
Ghent
July 5, 1891 - Rizal left Brussels for Ghent a famous university city in Belguim.
He stayed at Ghent because the cost of printing is cheaper.
After the publication of El Filibusterismo, Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong.
