Paris, France
29 November 2015

Located at the 9e Arrt in Rue De Maubeuge in Paris, the Place Jose Rizal is a small park named after the Philippine national hero who frequented the street and spent considerable years in France.

From 12 July 1889 to 05 January 1890, Rizal stayed in the apartment of Valentin Ventura, a wealthy Pampangueno friend and member of the La Solidaridad, organized in 1888. During his stay in Rue Maubeuge, Rizal was busy with many manuscripts: translating the works of his Austrian friend, Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt; writing articles for La Solidaridad; and finishing his annotations of Morga which was printed in November 1889 by the publishing firm Garnier Freres located on the Left Bank of Paris.

It was also in France that Rizal drew inspiration from French thinkers and writers in his literary works, which fanned patriotic sentiments of the Filipinos.

Today, the Ambassade des Philippines Paris are planning to put up a bust of Rizal in the small plaza to remember the historic significance of the street that bore witness to the struggles of Rizal for Philippine independence.

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