CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

RZAL 1013: Life and Works of Rizal

AY 2024-2025
Week 7

Lesson VII: RIZAL IN EUROPE

RIZAL IN EUROPE
Topic:

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Construct a timeline that summarizes the life of Rizal in Europe;

2. Discuss the experiences of Rizal in Europe; and
Explain how his travels in Europe influenced his being nationalistic.

LEARNING CONTENT

Introduction

J ose P. Rizal was a traveller. In fact, he was considered as the “Most Travelled Filipino
Hero”. He travelled almost 20 countries and about 40 island cities. He became a reformist
not only because of his isolation in the Philippines, but also because of his journeys
abroad. In this lesson, we are going to study Rizal’s experiences in Europe. It is here in Europe
where he has political ideals that have given way to nationalism. This will bring us to a deeper
understanding of how nationalism kindled his spirit.

LEARNING CONTENT

RIZAL IN EUROPE
The First Voyage to Spain: Views and Impressions

R izal had a secret trip. The parents of Rizal, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities did not
know much about his decision to move abroad. Just his older brother Paciano, Uncle
Antonio Rivera (father of Leonor Rivera), Sisters Neneng and Lucia, the Valenzuela
family and their daughter Orang, Pedro A. Paterno, his companion Mateo Evangelista, the
Jesuit priest of Ateneo, and some intimate friends knew of his silent departure. Before Rizal’s
secret departure, he penned a letter of good-bye to his parents and his sweetheart, Leonor
Rivera, which had been handed over to them after he had sailed abroad.

Rizal left the Philippines to Spain on 3 May 1882. He was 20 years old at the time. The first leg
of his journey to Spain on the Salvadora ship proved to be a young man's learning experience.
On his travel documents, he used Jose Mercado as his name. His key reason for leaving the
Philippines was to move to the Universidad Central de Madrid, Spain, and to finish his degree in
medicine. This reflects Rizal's determination to attain achievements and flourishing his
academic standing. From our previous module, we can note that the passion of learning
originated from his mother. So Rizal brought this value until he grew up. 16 passengers,
including Rizal, were on board the steamer. He was the only Filipino, the others were Spanish,
British and Indian Negroes.
Keenly, an observer, made drawings of the things he saw — the coast of Manila Bay, the coast
of Palawan and Borneo, and his fellow passengers. Most of his fellow travelers were foreign
nationals and Spanish workers on their way back to Spain. Almost all of them, he said, talked ill
of the Philippines, where they had gone for monetary purposes. He observed the people and
places and compared them to those in the Philippines.

Singapore was Rizal's first stop on his trip to Europe, and he had to change ships. He remained
there for two days and, on May 9, 1882, stayed at the Hotel de Paz. While in Singapore, Jose
had the chance to visit the British Colony and was fascinated by its development and beautiful
sites, including the botanical garden, temples and art galleries. He even saw the founder of
Singapore – Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. The people of Singapore seemed to have the trust of
their British administrators, unlike the Filipinos who feared their rulers.

In May 11, Rizal boarded the Djemnah, a vessel operated by

Messageries Maritimes, a French company. Comparing it to the
Salvadora one, Rizal said it was bigger and cleaner. Its interior
was carpeted and even the bathrooms were excellent. French
was mostly spoken on board because it was a French vessel.
Jose attempted to speak French to his fellow travelers, and he
found that French he learned from Ateneo could not be
understood. He was in contact with a smattering of Latin and
Spanish and with hand movements to be understood. He tried to
improve his communication by reading a French newspaper.
The vessel "Djemnah” on which Rizal sailed from
Singapore to Marseilles in 1882.
From Singapore, Djemnah made brief stops at Point de Galle
(Punta De Gallo) and Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where
he went onshore for sightseeing. He said that Galle was a sleepy port.
The Djemnah then continued its crossing of the Indian Ocean and landed
in present-day Yemen at the port of Aden. There Rizal saw merchants
selling lion and leopard skins. He found the city hotter than Manila. He
saw camels for the first time. He drank refreshments, cooled with ice split
by a nail, which was placed by the sellers using bare hands. He had a
view of the Arabian Peninsula to his right and the African continent to his
left as he approached the Suez Canal. He said that Africa was an
inhospitable but popular country. The sun was shining over the Arabian
Desert, and he could feel the heat rising from its sandy sands.

On June 2, 1882, the Djemnah went through the Suez Canal and Rizal
landed at Port Said (Mediterranean terminal of Suez Canal) in Egypt to
see the sights of this part of the region. Port Said, he commented, was a
multicultural city. People spoke numerous languages, such as Arabic,
Greek, Egyptian, Italian and Spanish. He toured a number of churches,
mosques and temples. He said the city was a blend of the vibrant
traditions of the East and the West. Suez Canal

On June 11, 1882, the Djemnah stopped by Naples in Italy,

which Rizal admired for the city's panoramic beauty of the
bay and the liveliness of the inhabitants. Rizal was
fascinated by Mount Vesuvius, the castle of St. Telno, and
the historic sights of the city. The next day, Rizal got off at
Marseilles, which was the end of the Djemnah. He bade
farewell to his fellow passengers and visited this French town and saw for himself the Château
d'If, the site of his favorite book, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. After
spending three days in Marseilles, Rizal boarded a train to Spain on June 15. His documents
were reviewed by immigration officers at the Spanish border in Portbou, in the Spanish province
of Catalonia. He noted the indifference of the Spanish immigration officers to their courteous
French counterparts.

On June 16, 1882, Rizal landed in Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia
region and the second largest city in Spain. Comparing it with the other European cities he saw
so far, it was dim, filthy and ugly. There were tiny inns, and the inhabitants were not very
hospitable. He stayed in a dingy inn on the most unattractive side of the area. The guests were
indifferent to him, too. Since Rizal arrived during the summer vacation for students, he traveled
to other areas of the city and noticed that Barcelona, like other parts of Spain, embraced
freedom and liberalism, unlike the Philippines. At this point, he changed his unfavorable opinion
of the city and concluded that Barcelona was really a great city and that its people were open-
hearted, hospitable and brave. He enjoyed strolling along Las Ramblas Lane, the popular lane
in Bacelona.

Rizal remained in Barcelona over the summer holidays. He met former classmates from the
Ateneo who brought him a party at their favorite café in Plaza de Cataluña. They shared toast
and told Rizal about the attractions and customs of the citizens of Barcelona. In contrast, Rizal
brought the Philippines news and gossips. Rizal got two bad news while in Barcelona. The first
bad news was about the cholera epidemic that destroyed Manila and the provinces. The second
bad news was Chenggoy's chatty letter recounting the unhappiness of Leonor Rivera, who was
becoming thinner due to the loss of a loved one.

He found time to compose a nationalist essay named Amor Patrio (Love of Country) with the
pen name Laon-Laan. The essay was published in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882.
Encouraged by the positive reception of his post, Francisco Calvo, the editor of the Diario asked
Rizal for more posts. He has dutifully submitted two papers entitled Los Viajes and Revista de
Madrid (Review of Madrid). The last story never saw print since the publication went out of
business.