Carlo Lorenzini, author of the book «The Adventures of Pinocchio», took Collodi as his stage name in homage to this town in the Italian Tuscany where his mother was born and raised, where the writer himself spent his childhood and to which he regularly returned to visit his family. They say that it is easy to visualize the child Collodi running through the streets of this place. After walking through it, I am not able to do it. Its steep slopes are almost impossible to ascend walking comfortably, I cannot imagine doing it running. Although children can do anything, even with Collodi’s slopes …
The profile on the hillside
When you get to Collodi you already enjoy the landscape that it offers in the distance on the side of the mountain. This gives us a clue of what its streets can be like, although seeing it live, at the foot of town, surprises more. Touring this small town in August is quite an achievement, as the steep slopes accompanied by the sweltering Tuscan heat do not make it easy at all. But you see something compensating when you run into beautiful corners along the way …
Villa Garzoni
Collodi’s grandfather was a farmer in Villa Collodi and his mother, the marquesita’s maid; it is still possible to enjoy the majesty of its façade behind which the old town emerges. The Garzoni Garden is one of the best preserved in Europe and complements this green journey 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’s his thing. 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. Not forgetting the souvenir stalls. One tip: if you are going to buy a wooden Pinocchio as a souvenir, you should know that the real one from Collodi is the one with 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.
