The Swiss globetrotter who followed closely in Jules Verne’s footsteps

Emilio Balli in Japan in February 1879. Valmaggia Museum

Inspired by Jules Verne’s newly printed book Around the World in 80 Days (1872), Emilio Balli, a young Swiss from canton Ticino, undertook his own extraordinary round-the-world journey in 1878-1879. His 472-day adventure, recently told in a new book, took him from Europe to the Americas and Asia.

Balli vividly described his experiences on his trip in hundreds of letters sent to his family in Cavergno, a small village in southern Ticino. He also kept a travel diary that detailed each leg of his journey, creating an exceptional archive that also includes photographs, souvenirs and relics, from shell collections to rare coins. Many of these items, lent by Balli’s descendants and supported by the University of Geneva’s Geography and Environment Faculty, were displayed in 2023 and 2024 at an exhibition at the Valmaggia Museum in Cevio.

A new book documents Balli’s journey

Balli’s journey has also been retold in a new book, Il giro del mondo in 472 giorni (Around the World in 472 Days), published by Dadò in collaboration with the Valmaggia Museum and edited by Alessandro Botteri Balli, Raphaël Pieroni, and Jean-François Staszak. The 200-page illustrated book uses the extraordinary materials Balli brought back from his travels to document his life-changing expedition.

The 23-year-old’s adventure began aboard a ship of the Paris-based Société des Voyages d’Études Autour du Monde, as part of an early “all-inclusive” travel experience. His journey was disrupted however when the ship was forced to dock in Panama. Undeterred, Balli and his friend Alfred Bertrand continued on with support from diplomats, merchants and missionaries, eventually completing the dream journey they had long prepared for.

A wealthy family and a determined traveller

Born in 1855 in Cavergno, Balli was the youngest of eleven children from a wealthy family. His father, Valentino Alessandro Balli, had made his fortune as a businessman in Holland, enabling his son to undertake what would have been an expensive journey only accessible to the very privileged members of society. The young man’s determination and curiosity—hallmarks of a true scholar—served him well during his travels.

Emilio Balli In front of the Niagara Falls, Canada. Museum Valmaggia

A leading figure in canton Ticino

On September 26, 1879, Balli returned to Europe, arriving first in Marseille and then in canton Ticino. His travels elevated him to a prominent position in canton Ticino’s cultural circles, allowing to move between business, political, social, and cultural spheres. He was a passionate advocate for natural history, the study of coins, and archaeology, and contributed to the founding of Locarno’s Museum of Archaeology and Natural History in 1900, which he directed for many years. As noted in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (DSS), he also helped establish the Cantonal Agricultural Society (1885), the Ticino Alpine Club (1886), and the Ticino Natural Science Society (1903), while promoting archaeological digs in Tenero, Cavigliano and Muralto.

Emilio Balli passed away in Locarno on November 29, 1934, and was buried in Cavergno. He remains to this day a pioneering globetrotter. His journey has provided many insights into the global transformation of the 19th century and the emergence of tourism. His work has also left behind valuable information on the historical and social backdrop that enabled his extraordinary adventure.

Translated from Italian with DeepL/amva/sb