C/ AMOR DE DIOS 13-15

Our walking tour shall begin with the place of his residence from
September 12, 1882 to May 1883, when he first arrived in Madrid.
Rizal was prepared to lead a spartan life since he had a limited
allowance of 50 pesos a month further reduced to 35 pesos when
the Rizal farm was affected by bad harvests. There was also a
constant increase in rent being imposed by the Dominicans from
whom the Rizal family rented the farm. In this Madrid house, Rizal
lived with Vicente Gonzalez, an old friend from his Ateneo de Manila
days and a guy whom he fondly called Marques de Pagong. The
house could have been chosen out of convenience since it was near
the university and the atelier in which Rizals interest in the arts
developed into fine form. He could therefore save on transportation
costs. There was a piano and four big mirrors that created lasting
impressions on Rizal.

C/VENTURADELAVEGA(FORMERLYC/BAO15,PISOPRINCIPALOR
1)
ThiswastheresidenceofD.PabloOrtigayRey,vicepresidentoftheConsejode
FilipinasandtheheadquartersofCirculoHispanoFilipino.Inalettertothisfamily
datedOctober10,1882,Rizalmentionedhavingboardedherefrom1883(autumn)to
August1884,apparentlyonatemporarybasissincethefollowingentrieswould
indicatethathehadotherplacesofresidenceinMadrid.Theassociation(CHF)was
organizedasaforumforFilipinostudentstodiscussPhilippineaffairs.Itsponsored
regularbailestoraisefundsfortheassociation.Itpublishedamagazinefinancedby
JuanAtayde,aPhilippinebornSpaniard.AmongthosewithwhomRizaldiscussed
PhilippineissueswerethePaternosPedro,MaximinoandAntonioandGregorio
SangciangcoyGosonwhomadedeepimpressionsonRizal.ThelatterwroteEl
ProgresodeFilipinaswhichsaidthataplanforagriculture,commerceandindustry
couldusherinimprovementsandprogressinthePhilippines.Theassociationdidnot
lastlong,asRizalwrotetohisfamilyonJanuary29,1883,thatitdisbandeduponhis
suggestionapparentlyduetolackofsufficientinterestsofthemembers.The
residencehadanotherattractionforRizalasidefrombeingthevenueofpolitical
discussions.Thedaughteroftheowner,ConsueloOrtigayReycaughtRizalsfancy.
However,ConsuelowastornbetweenRizalanddeLete.RizalevengaveConsuelo
poems,musicalpiecesfromParisandguimaras,akindoftextilefromthePhilippines.
TheguimarasgiftwasacknowledgedbyConsuelothroughdeLete,whichseemedto
haveputanendtoRizalsillusionsaboutherlove,hisfirstderrotaordefeatashe
wroteincodesinhisdiary.

HOTELINGLS,C/ECHEGARAY
AsidefromRestauranteMadrid,HotelInglsfiguredprominentlyasaplacewhere
theFilipinocommunityinMadridmarkedorcelebrateditsmostimportantevents.In
1884,thiswasthevenueforthebanquetinhonorofLunaandHidalgo.Theplace
retainsits19thcenturyambienceandhasatthelobbyamarkerindicatingtheyearof
itsconstruction,therepresentativemenuthen,andtheeventscelebratedtheresuchas
zarzuelas,musicalpresentationsandplays.Onitswallsarepaintingsshowingthe
hotelsoriginallook.AsidefromtheLunaHidalgobanquet,theFilipinocommunity
wouldsometimesholdtheircenasinthehotelincelebrationoftheNewYear.Even
today,HotelInglesisusedbytheFilipinocommunityas,forexample,whenit
celebratedthecentennialoftheRevolutionandtheFirstRepublicwithPresidentFidel
V.Ramosinattendance.

CONGRESODELOSDIPUTADOS(FORMERLYLASCORTESESPAOLAS)
TheFilipinocommunitylobbiedinthisbuildingfortherecognitionoftheFilipinos
righttoautonomyandforequalrightswithSpanishcitizens.Thisisnotfarfromthe
areaswheretheFilipinocommunitylivedandisjustacrosstheparkdedicatedtothe
memoryofCervantes,thefamouscreatorofDonQuixotedelaManchaandSancho
Panza.Balandristas,playingguitarandothermusicalinstruments.Attheopposite
endwasamuralwithacountryscene,showinggirlsatapicnicinthemeadow,a
settingassociatedwiththeperiodoftheSpanishpainterGoya.Itwasduringthetimes
theFilipinostudentsmetinthisbarthattheyformedtheirstandonvariousissues
affectingthePhilippines.Today,theplaceisavenueforflamencodance
presentationsandmusicalbandsplayingpopularandclassicalSpanishsongs.Its19th
centuryambienceislookeduponwithpridebyitsownersandpersonnel.Thereisa
varietyofwineservedattheusualSpanishtimeoffunandenjoyment,thatis,towards
duskuntilthebreakofdawn.

VIVAMADRID,C/MANUELFERNANDEZYGONZALEZ,7
Anotherhangoutfamousforitsbeautifulmuralsofazulejosorglazedtileswhere
Rizalusedtotakehislightmealswithwine,thiswaslikewisethefavoriteplaceof
GracianoLopezJaenawhohadthereputationofbeingamanoftheworldandof
wine.Amarkerproudlyexhibitedintheestablishmentmentionsitsassociationwith
theFilipinocommunityinMadridatthattime.Theplacewouldtellusthatitwasnot
allworkandnoplayforournationalhero.Wecanimaginehimandhisfriends
spendinghoursinsomeafternoonssippingwinewhileadmiringthebeautifulwomen
passingby.Rizalwouldevensaythathehadspenttwopesetasand90centimosfora
baileattheElExcelsior,perhapsanearbycabaretforthepublicaswasthestyleof
thetime.

C/GRANVIA22(FORMERLYC/SANMIGUEL7,1)
Rizalstayedinthisplace,apension,asindicatedinalettertohisparentsdated
September11,1883.StartingSeptember6ofthatyear,hewaspayingadailyrentof
fourpesetasaday.Hesaidthatthisamountexcludedthecostofkerosenewhichhe
hadtobuyhimselfsohecouldreadandstudyatnight.Butperhapstheconditions
werenotthatidealforhimaslater,hehadtoboardinanotherplacewithaFilipino
student.

C/DELBARQUILLO34,4
TheGranVaresidencewasindeedonlytemporarysinceinthesamelettertohis
parents,heaskedthatallfuturelettersbeforwardedtothisaddress.HejoinedEsteban
VillanuevawhocametoMadridtostudylawbutlaterbecameanestablishedpainter.
Itseemsthatpaintingandtheartsasdisciplines,hadsuchanattractiontoFilipinos
sinceanumberofthempursuedtheseascareersLuna,Hidalgo,MelecioFigueroa,
anengraverandVillanueva.Rizalatthatpointwasindirefinancialdifficulties.Inhis
reportonhiswhereabouts,hementionedhishighgradesinmedicine,hisvictoryin
GreekcontestsandexamsinHistoriaUniversalbutsaidhehadtopawnSaturninas
ringgiventohim,topayforhisexams.Atonetime,Rizaldidnothaveanymealat
allforonewholeday.Fortuitously,hehadbeenaskedbythePaternostodeliverone
ofthemainspeechesatabanquet,atoasttoJuanLunaandFelixResurreccion
Hidalgowhohadjustwonfirstandsecondprizes(fortheSpoliariumandVirgenes
CristianasExpuestaalPopulacho),respectively,attheartcompetitionsponsoredby
theExposiciondeBellasArtesinMadrid.Hewrotetheseincodesinhisdiarywhich
werelaterdecodedbyMiguelUnamuno,hisSpanishfriend,upontherequestof
WenceslaoRetana.

C/PIZARRO15(FORMERLY,PIZARRO13,2DCHA.)
Inalettertohisfamily,onAugust29,1884,Rizalinformedthemoflivingherewith
classmatesCeferinodeLeonandJulioLlorente.ItwasveryclosetotheFacultadde
FilosofiayLetrasatc/Bernardowherehewastofinishinayearhisphilosophyand
lettersdegree.Itwasherewherehewrotetohisfamilywhysugarpriceshadfallen
CubaandPuertoRico,aswellasthecoloniesofGreatBritain,hadreplacedthe
PhilippinesasthenewsourcesofU.S.imports,thebiggestatthattime.Itwasalso
herewhereRizalquietlystartedhisnovelNoliMeTangere.

C/CEDACEROS11,PISOPRINCIPAL

ThiswasperhapshislastresidenceinMadridashehimselfmentionedinanundated
lettertohisfamily.Hespent15daysherefromOctober1to15,1885sharingthe
placewithCeferinodeLeonandEduardodeLete.Hetoldhisparentsthathewould
bemovingtoParisandBerlintostudyophthalmologyunderthebestprofessorsat
thattime.TheeyesightofTeodoraAlonsohadgoneworseanditwasRizalsdesireto
treatheruponhisreturntothePhilippines.Onthematterofhisreturntothe
Philippines,hisbrotherPacianoadvisedhimtostayinHongKonginsteadsincethis
wouldnotbeveryfarfromhome.ThereputationofRizalasanantifriarintellectual
hadbecomepublicbecauseofhisspeechattheHotelInglesatthebanquettohonor
JuanLunaandFelixResurreccionHidalgo.AccordingtoPaciano,returningtothe
PhilippineswouldbefatalsincealotofSpaniardswereraringtopunishhimfor
claimingthattheIndioscouldbeevenbetterthanthecolonialmastersifgiventhe
chancetodevelopthemselves.

FACULTADDEMEDICINA,UNIVERSIDADDEMADRID,C/ATOCHA
ThecorridoroftheColegiodeMedicina(HospitaldeSanCarlos)hasamarker
indicatingthatitwasherewhereRizalstudiedmedicine.Hebeganhismedicalstudies
onOctober2,1882,andfinishedittwoyearslaterinJune1884.Oneofhisprofessors
wasthethenfamousMarquezdeBusto.Theotherprofessorshehadmentionedwere
Drs.Mariani,PoloandStocker.Heapparentlyspenthisspecimens.Forincludingin
theexhibitionsamplesofPhilippinepeoplessuchastheIgorots,Manobosand
Negritos,RizalcriticizedcivilizedSpainforviolationoftheirhumanrights.It
seemedtoRizalthattheexhibitionwasnobetterthanazoowhereMadrileos
laughedindisdainastheylookedattheseprimitiveexamplesofthehumanrace.
Rizalwasparticularlybitterwheninthewinter,amemberofthegroup,anIgorot
woman,diedandotherscontractedpneumoniaduetothecold.C/ATOCHA,43La
Solidaridadusedthisplaceasitsofficeofpublication.Foundedin1889,the
newspaperwasthevoiceoftheFilipinocommunityinSpaininitsstrugglefor
recognitionbytheSpanishgovernment,oftheirdesireforautonomy.Beforehis
decisiontoreturntoaplacenearthePhilippines(HongKong),Rizalmighthave
frequentedthisplacetocheckontheprogressofthepublicationofhisessays,the
mostfamousofwhichwashisLaIndolenciadelosFilipinos.Theessaywasin
responsetothethenpopularSpanishnotionthatthelackofprogressinthePhilippines
wasduetothelazinessofthecolonialsubjects.Rizalassertedthattherewerefactors
beyondhumancontrol,suchasthePhilippineshot,humidandtropicalweather,that
wouldexplainthesupposedlazinessoftheFilipinos.Andinanycase,Rizalsaid,the
FilipinoswerenoworsethantheSpaniardswhowerelazyrelativetotheGermans
andtheDutchofnorthernEurope.HavingdebunkedtheSpanishassertions,Rizal
thenproposedmeasuresthatwouldmakethePhilippinesprogressive,adoptingin
particularthesuggestionsofhisfellowstudent,GregorioSanciangcoyGosonbuild
railroads,adoptmodernagriculturaltechnologyandsolvetheproblemofland
ownershipforthePhilippinestoattainprogress

ATENEODEMADRID,C/PRADO,21
Althoughnotaneducationalinstitutionbutanexclusiveclubformenoflettersand
science,theAteneocontributedtotheprofessionaldevelopmentofRizal.Itwashere
whereheregularlyattendedtheatricalpresentations,musicandpoetryrecitalsand
booklaunchings.HewasinattendancewhenRamondeCompoamordeliveredhis
bestpoetryin1884.ItwasalsoattheAteneowherehestudiedEnglishunderthe
tutelageofSr.Schts.Atonetime,RizalwaspresentedtothePrincipedeBaviera,
thenpresidingoverthemeeting.Evennow,theambienceoftheAteneoisoneof
quiet,civilityandseriousness,withpeoplespendingtheirtimeinhighceilinged
roomsandgalleries.Thetheatrehasretainedtheclassicalstagereminiscentofaplace
forGreekplays.Onthehallwayareportraitsofitsmostprominentmembers.Rizals
portraitusedtohangattheendofthehallway.

PARQUEDELBUENRETIRO
ThiswasRizalsfavoriteparkinMadridwhichinspiredhimtonamehisplaceof
exileinDapitan,ZamboangadelNorteasMiRetiro.Thiswasalsothesiteofthe
ExposicindeFilipinasof1887inwhosePalacioCristalpavilionswereexhibited
Philippineartifactsandartworks.

http://www.philembassymadrid.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/Forms/RIZAL'S
%20MADRID.pdf