Rizal’s

Monica Wawangco

Jose Rizal was only twenty years old when he traveled abroad to study and as a young man, he was very observant and eager to interact with foreign nationals.

3rd of May 1882, Rizal left the Philippines for Spain in a pish steamer SS Salvadora

9th of May 1882, Salvadora docked in

Singapore

11th of May 1882, Rizal transferred to another ship, Djemnah. A French vessel for Europe.

17th of May 1882, Djemnah reach the coast of Sri Lanka.

The following day, Djemnah weighed anchor and resume the voyage towards Colombo. From Colombo, the voyage continued by crossing the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Guardufui Africa. The next stopover was in Yemen. Rizal was amused to see the camels for the first time. From Yemen, their voyage continued to the city of Suez in Egypt.

He saw the Suez Canal for the first time and he was thrilled to saw it.

11th of June 1882, The ship docked at Naples, Italy. He was fascinated by the Mount Vesuvius, the Castle of St. Telmo

12th of June 1882, The steamer docked at Marseilles, France. Rizal visited the famous Chateau D’if when he was in Marseilles.

Travelling from train, he crossed the pyrenees and stopped for a day at frontier town of Portbou. After the passport inspection at Portbou, he finally arrived at Barcelona.

16th of June 1882, Rizal reached Barcelona. His former classmates from Ateneo organized a welcome party for him at a coffee house in Plaza de Cataluña. They took Rizal around the city and to the historical sites in Barcelona. His essay entitled “El Amor Patrio” or Love of Country was written in this city and published last 20th of August 1882 in Diariong Tagalog using Laong Laan as his pen name.

3rd of November 1882, Rizal moved to Madrid. Rizal enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid or known today as Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.

Rizal also took lessons in painting and sculpture at the Academia de San Fernando.

He also enrolled at the Madrid Ateneo (Ateneo de Madrid) in French, English, and German classes.

He also enrolled in fencing class at the Hall of Arms of Sanz y Carbonell.

October 1885 to March 1886, Rizal specialized in ophthalmology and trained under the leading ophthalmologists in Europe like Dr. Louis de Weckert of Paris whom he worked as an assistant.

June 1884, Rizal was awarded with the degree and title of Licentiate in Medicine for passing the medical examinations. With his title, he was able to practice medicine. With his title, he was able to practice medicine. 19th of June 1885, Rizal obtained the degree Licenciado en Filosofia y Letras (Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters) from the Universidad Central de Madrid with a rating of sobresaliente.

2nd of January 1884, Rizal joined the Filipino reunion at the house of Pedro Paterno in Madrid. He proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippine society. It was also in Madrid that he was able to write the first half of his novel, Noli Me Tangere.

In 1886, Rizal also worked with expert ophthalmologists Dr. Javier Galezowsky and Dr. Otto Becker in Heidelberg, Germany.

Also, in 1886 in his stay in Berlin, Germany, he mastered German language and wrote a paper entitled Tagalische Verkunst. He also translated Schiller’s William Tell into Tagalog.

In 1887, in Heidelberg, Germany, Rizal also worked with expert ophthalmologists Dr. R. Schulzer and Dr. Schweigger.

21st of March 1887 in Berlin, Germany, Rizal finished and published his novel, Noli Me Tangere with financial help from his friend, Maximo Viola. After five years in Europe, Rizal went home to Calamba on August 8, 1887.