Rizal's Early Travels
Rizal's international adventure began on May 9, 1882, when he arrived in Singapore—his first stop on the way to Spain. Traveling under the passport name "Jose Mercado," he boarded the ship Djemnah to continue his journey. Just a month later, on June 11, he briefly stepped foot in Naples, Italy—his first taste of European soil.
By August 20, 1882, Rizal reached Barcelona, Spain, achieving a significant milestone when his article "Amor Patrio" (Love of Country) was published in a Manila newspaper. This marked his first published work abroad, launching his career as a writer on the international stage.
After moving to Madrid in September 1882, Rizal pursued medical studies at the Universidad Central while also taking classes in philosophy and learning multiple languages. His talents quickly became evident when, in October, he performed a poem "Me piden versus" at a gathering of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino, demonstrating his literary abilities.
Did you know? Even while broke and hungry, Rizal won a gold medal in a Greek Language contest at the university. That same evening, he finally got to eat as a guest speaker at a banquet honoring Filipino artists!
January 1884 proved crucial for Filipino literature when Rizal proposed publishing a book to the Circulo members—this idea would eventually become his famous novel Noli Me Tangere, a work that would forever change Philippine history.
