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The World of Pinocchio

The World of Pinocchio

There are two types of lies, little white lies and quite big fibs! Our friend Pinocchio specialised in the latter, and found it impossible to tell the truth. The story of Pinocchio is about a little puppet, and his quest to become a real boy. The story is so well known, like Snow White, it's crossed borders, and has become one of the world's most loved fairytales.

When Carlo Lorenzini (with the pen-name Collodi, which is an area near Pescia where his mother was born) wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio: the story of a puppet, he couldn't have imagined how popular it would be. Pinocchio is a puppet who jumps, dances and speaks, and can do everything else that real boys can. He's an extremely disobedient child, who is very easily lead by temptation, doing naughty things like skipping school, and making friends with pickpockets. The simplified story is that Pinocchio longs to be a real boy, and the Blue Fairy promises that if he proves himself worthy, he will become one. The story has a host of unforgettable characters, like Geppetto (Pinocchio's dad), Gideon the pickpocket and the evil puppetmaster. In the end, after all the trials and tribulations, he is rewarded by becoming a real boy.

Pinocchio's adventures were serialised in the years 1880-83, after this, they were published in their entirety in their own book. The most memorable thing about Pinocchio's stories, are the characters, from his dad, to the talking cricket, to the cunning fox and his cat sidekick. Pinocchio has been made into many television shows and films, with Walt Disney's interpretation in 1940 being the most famous. Collodi is a little village in Val di Nievole, near to Pescia, where Carlo Lorenzini's childhood was spent. His little town owes much to him, now having worldwide fame, and in the 1950s the mayor commisioned a themepark in Lorenzini's honour, and was officially opened in 1962 (and is nowadays sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs).

The themepark isn't like others, it's really artistic and has gorgeous scenery. The surroundings are really famous in terms of architecture and sculpture (with such greats like Emilio Greco, Venturino Venturi, Baldi and De Luigi having input into the park). Whilst walking through the park you will probably stumble across the cunning fox and his cat friend, and you can also dine at the famous Gambero Rosso (yes, it really is a real restaurant!), and see the huge mouth and jaws of the wicked shark. It's really a magical place for children who will really feel they're in the middle of the actual story.

The park is open everyday, from 08.30 until dusk.

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