Collodi, the town of Pinocchio

Carlo Lorenzini, author of the book «The Adventures of Pinocchio», took as his stage name Collodi in tribute to this Italian Tuscan town where his mother was born and raised, where the writer himself spent his childhood and to whom he returned regularly to visit his family. They say that it is easy to see the child Collodi running around the streets of this place. I, after walking through it, I am not able to do it. Its steep slopes are almost impossible to climb comfortably walking, I can't imagine doing it running. Although children can cope with everything, even with the slopes of Collodi ...

The profile on the hillside

When you arrive at Collodi you already enjoy the landscape that it offers in the distance on the side of the mountain. This gives us a clue of how its streets can be, although seeing it live, at the foot of town, is more surprising. Touring this small town in August is quite an achievement, since the steep slopes accompanied by the sweltering heat of Tuscany they don't make it easy. But it looks somewhat offsetting when you come across precious corners along the way…

Villa Garzoni

Collodi's grandfather was a farmer in Villa Collodi and his mother, a maid of the marquesita; it is still possible to enjoy the majesty of its facade behind which the old town emerges. The Garzoni Garden is one of the best preserved in Europe and complements this green route to the Pinocchio Park, the undisputed protagonist of this town.

Pinocchio everywhere

There is no doubt that in Collodi they know how to exploit the figure of Pinocchio. It is yours. There are murals dedicated to this character and you can see the Tallest wooden pinocchio in the world, built by Swiss carpenters and that undoubtedly captures all eyes and photographs. Without forgetting the souvenirs. A tip: if you are going to buy a wooden Pinocchio as a souvenir, you must know that the authentic Collodi is the one wearing the white cap, which is also the only one that can be held on one leg.

I invite you to get to know Collodi through these photographs that run through this charming little town.

The birthplace of Pinocchio (April 2024)