06 January 2014 – As part of the celebration of the 117th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Knights of Rizal, the Kababaihang Rizalistas, and Las Damas de Rizal, together with the Philippine Embassy in Paris, organized a walking tour of the various places where Dr. Jose Rizal lived in Paris, France.
After a flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony at the Embassy grounds, the Filipino community proceeded to 65 Boulevard Arago in the 13th arrondissement (district), where Dr. Jose Rizal briefly stayed with Filipino painter Juan Luna. Other famous painters such as Gauguin and Modigliani lived in the same address.
The next stops were various hotels Dr. Jose Rizal stayed in, such as the Hotel de Paris in 37 Rue De Maubeuge in the 9th arrondissement, as well as the building currently
occupied by Hotel Aramis in 124 Rue De Rennes in the 6th arrondissement.
Another stop was the former clinic of renowned ophthalmic surgeon Dr. Louis de Wecker in 55 Rue Du Cherche-Midi just a few steps from Hotel Aramis. This is where Dr. Jose Rizal trained under Dr. de Wecker for four months from November 1885 to February 1886 and where he learned the cataract-surgery technique which he used on his mother, Teodora Alonzo.
Last stop was Place Jose Rizal in the 9th arrondissement, located in front of 55 Rue De Maubeuge.
Dr. Jose Rizal first arrived in France in the summer of 1883 and ended up staying for three months before embarking on his studies in Madrid, Spain. He later returned to train under Dr. de Wecker in 1885-1886 and then travelled to France intermittently up to 1891 when he finished writing his second novel El Filibusterismo in Biarritz, France.
All of the stops visited above had markers erected by the National Historic Commission in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Paris and the Filipino community. END