NEL MONDO DAGLI OCCHI CHIUSI  
By RICCARDO DECARLI
goes on to explain some of the 
first documented excursions, 
quoting sections of the original 
text that describe in exceptional 
detail all aspects of the trips, 
including timings, weather, 
equipment, cave temperature, 
cave passage and chamber di-
mensions, and cave decora-
tions, and also includes copies 
of the original cave surveys and 
photos. During this time pe-
riod, interest in the natural en-
vironment increased and alpine 
tourism started to rise. Natural cavities became a curios-
ity and this book even includes a copy of an old postcard 
demonstrating this.
The second chapter introduces Cesare Battisti with 
a background of his family life, his schooling, and how 
he became interested in and started pursuing his passion 
for the alpine environment and caves. It explains that he 
was not only inquisitive of the natural environment but 
was also enthusiastic to document and disseminate his 
findings. A number of his major documents published 
during his lifetime are noted here, including geographi-
cal maps and texts that confirm his major interests as 
Trentino geography, lakes and hydrology, and karst.
The third chapter discusses the studies of Lake Ter-
lago conducted by Battisti and a colleague Giovanni Bat-
tista Trener; a chemist with whom he shared a passion 
for geology. Around the lake, they noticed examples of 
karst features, such as Karren, and using tracing experi-
ments, they managed to demonstrate that the outflow of 
the lake was subterranean and was the source of spring 
located down in the valley.
Chapter Four discusses how Battisti attempted to 
create a group within the Società degli Alpinisti Triden-
ACTA CARSOLOGICA 46/2−3, 353–354, POSTOJNA 2017
The region of Trentino, situated 
in North-eastern Italy, lies on 
the southern flank of the Alps, 
where much of the mountain-
ous landscape is dominated 
by the rock formations of the 
Dolomia Principale dolomite 
and the Calcari Grigi limestone. 
Trentino has a rich history of 
alpine ascents and cave explora-
tions.
This book, authored by 
Riccardo Decarli, published by 
the Società degli Alpinisti Tri-
dentini, entitled “Nel Mondo dagli occhi chiusi: Cesare 
Battisti e le origini della speleologia in Trentino” (In the 
world with closed eyes: Cesare Battisti and the origins of 
speleology in Trentino) delves deeply into the life and 
scientific discoveries of a man called Cesare Battisti and 
a number of other people significantly involved in spele-
ology during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 
20th Centuries.
Around Trentino, the name Cesare Battisti is well 
known, and has been used widely as the name of streets 
and town squares. In addition, one of the most well-
known caves of the region, because it opens high on the 
imposing cliff wall of Mount Paganella that overlooks 
the town of Trento, is called Cesare Battisti Cave. How-
ever, his fame is associated mostly with his involvement 
in politics and to the tragic end to his life, while little is 
commonly known of his quality as an alpinist and his 
value as a geographer.
The first chapter of this book discusses the study 
of caves in Trentino up to the end of the 19th Century. 
It introduces some of the caves in the region that were 
already known about, some of which containing prehis-
toric artifacts, while others were used as fortifications. It 
ACTA CARSOLOGICA 46/2–3 – 2017354
BOOK REVIEW
tini dedicated to speleology for the specialized study of 
glaciology, hydrology, and speleology. The fifth chapter 
explains how Battisti and Trener started correspondence 
with the French researcher Edouard Alfred Martel; one 
of the fathers of modern speleology. What started as a 
number of letters discussing scientific findings, de-
veloped into a friendship that allowed the exchange of 
bibliographic documents and papers, the sending water 
samples to be analyzed by Martel, and the sharing of find-
ings. Although this relationship undoubtedly improved 
the quality of the science carried out by the Trentino re-
searchers, a shortage of local research centers, a lack of 
support from the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini, and 
the interference of Battisti’s political views meant that 
their scientific findings did not reach an international 
audience.
Following on from his study of Lake Terlago, Battisti 
turned his focus to The Lake of Lavarone and the hydrol-
ogy of the Plateau of the seven communities, which is 
discussed in chapters six and seven. Here, we are shown 
Battisti’s detailed proposal of the observations planned 
during cave visits, which has strong similarities to what 
is still carried out by researchers today, and which gained 
the researchers funding from the Italian Geographic So-
ciety. However, the scientific research was published only 
as a short text, and Battisti appears to have justified the 
funding with the production of a number of alpine tour-
ism guides, but this became the beginning of the end of 
Battisti’s research career.
The subsequent chapters (named: other speleologi-
cal research, notes on other geographical publications, 
other caves and other speleologists, the legacy of Battisti, 
and Battisti alpinist) include notes of various caves dis-
persed over the region that Battisti visited and the prog-
ress made on these cave explorations to-date. Tribute is 
paid to the numerous other publications by Battisti that 
include geographical maps and tourist guides. The book 
also discusses how Battisti influenced a passion for ex-
ploration and research and describes a number of other 
important caves in the region explored in more recent 
years. Battisti was not just interested in research, but also 
actively pushed for improvements in infrastructure to 
accommodate alpinists, such as with his participation in 
advancing the construction of a refuge on Mount Pagan-
ella. The final chapter notes that Battisti was not just a 
speleologist, but he was also a great hiker and climber 
and made new discoveries and completed many difficult 
routes in the Trentino mountains. He was also one of 
the first people in Trentino to become interested in al-
pine skiing, and published an early guide on how to ski, 
adapted from a French manual.
Overall, the book is an excellent account of the 
research of Cesare Battisti, which includes a strong at-
tention to detail that demonstrates the authors skills of 
investigation and dedication. The inclusion of original 
quotes not only gives the reader and inside view of what 
it was like to be on an expedition with Battisti but ensures 
that this book itself is an historical source of information 
on Trentino speleology. The book is written in Italian 
and tends to take for granted that the reader has some 
prior knowledge of the Trentino region and it’s caves. It 
is highly adapted for an audience interested in the life of 
Cesare Battisti, the caves and geography of Trentino, or 
those fascinated in the history of speleology, particularly 
in an alpine environment. Personally, I was captivated by 
the thought of how our speleological predecessors, with 
limited equipment and little prior knowledge, managed 
to complete such detailed research that is still of great 
scientific value.
Vanessa E. Johnston