Exhibition "In the Forests of Borneo"
The itinerary
video transcription
"for with daylight the mountains of Borneo were sighted (...) As the sun rose, the imposing mass of Santubong appeared, like a great fortress commanding the entrance to the Sarawak river".
Odoardo Beccari, 1902
After completing his studies, the young Odoardo, together with his friend Giacomo Doria, nurtured the dream of a great expedition to unexplored lands. On the advice of the Irish naturalist John Ball, they chose Borneo as their destination. On April 4th 1865, the two young men departed from Southampton and, after a long journey, landed in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, on June 19th.
The impact ofthe tropical environment was extraordinary, but before long, the exotic became wonderfully familiar. For several months, Beccari and Doria explored the forest together—one devoted to collecting plants, the other to hunting animals.
Then Giacomo fell ill and returned to Italy, leaving Odoardo with the task of continuing the work for both of them. The following three years were spent living in the jungle, often in complete isolation. On Mount Matang, near Kuching, he had a rustic dwelling built, which he affectionately named “Vallombrosa,” in memory of the locality in the Casentino mountains, not far from Florence.
Sarawak region within the island of Borneo. Own elaboration.
The house was to be built in the style of the Malay ones, raised on stilts. (…) The house would have a loggia or veranda at the front and another at the back, and it would be divided into three rooms: the central one serving as a living room, one of the side rooms as my bedroom and study, and the other as the men’s quarters. The kitchen would be built on the ground.
Odoardo Beccari, 1902
Sketch of the house on Mount Mattang. Original drawing by Odoardo Beccari. Notebook no. 5 (unpublished). 1865–1867. Science Library of the University of Florence (University Library System).
View of Kuching Bay from Margaret Brooke’s photographic album (unpublished) 1897, Natural History Museum of Florence. Botanical Collections.