Biblioteca Comunale-sede centrale

Because of his interest in studies concerning nature and Trentino, Battisti often visits the Civic Museum of Trento, housed at that time where today there is the town library.

In 1897 Battisti graduates in geography in Florence and the following year he publishes his thesis in Trento. It is an unprecedented study on his homeland, a complete picture where he describes environmental, human, and physical conditions of the territory. The title containing the word “Trentino” is also a political declaration, because according to Austrian authorities Trentino doesn’t exist as a political entity.

The commitment to scientific research continues even after graduation. With the collaboration of the geologist Giovanni Battista Trener, Battisti discovers the emissaries of Lake Terlago, unknown until that moment, and founds the magazine Tridentum. In these years Battisti begins also to promote Trentino in a tourism perspective in Italy. He employs his geographical knowledge to publish guidebooks on some Valleys of Trentino, describing also life difficulties of the population. Behind Battisti’s commitment there is also a political purpose related to the safeguard of local Italian culture: the guidebooks are mainly needed to attract the interest of the italian public opinion about the existence and the problems of the Italian minority living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.