Rizal's Early International Travels
Rizal began his travels abroad on May 9, 1882, boarding the Salvadora with a passport under the name José Mercado. Singapore became his first international destination, where he briefly stayed before continuing his journey aboard the Djemnah to Europe. This marked the beginning of his transformative international experience.
On June 11, 1882, Rizal set foot on European soil for the first time when he landed in Naples, Italy, even if just for an hour. By August 20th, he had reached Barcelona, Spain, where his first article published abroad—"Amor Patrio" (Love of Country)—appeared in the Manila newspaper Diarong Tagalog.
Rizal moved to Madrid on September 2, 1882, to pursue medical studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He immersed himself in education, taking classes in Philosophy and Letters alongside private language lessons in French, German, and English. His dedication to knowledge was already evident.
Did you know? Despite being in a foreign land, Rizal continued to support Filipino causes. On October 4, 1882, he performed a poem titled "Me piden versus" at a gathering of the Circulo Hispano Filipino, demonstrating his ongoing connection to his homeland while abroad.
In Madrid, Rizal experienced both triumph and hardship. On January 2, 1884, he proposed publishing a book to members of the Circulo—a concept that would eventually become his influential novel Noli Me Tangere. Later that year, on June 24, a particularly touching incident occurred when Rizal competed in a Greek Language contest on an empty stomach (being too broke for breakfast) and still won the gold medal!
