Collodis' famous son
The centuries-old hill village of Collodi has existed since the end of the XIIth. Century. Its origin stems from its strategic location, which forced the inhabitants living in the valley, where even today there are traces of the small ancient settlement of Debbia, to set up a fortified settlement on the hill that towered above, known as Odo or Odolo's Peak. Although situated in an excellent strategic position as Collodi was situated on the boundary between lands under the rule of Lucca and Florence, which lead to numerous sacking of the village for over a century and a half, from 1329 to 1441. After such time Collodi stayed under Lucca’s rule, its economy based on olive growing and the use of water from the Pescia, the Collodi stream, to drive water wheels, olive presses, silk and paper mills.Collodi is a veritable cascade of little stone houses clinging to a steep hillside; from the ancient Rocca at the top to the huge derelict villa Garzoni below. The Villa, with its magnificent but dilapidated façade, reflects the colour of its brickwork in the late afternoon sun.The narrow cobbled streets of Collodi, strangely devoid of traffic, are lined by houses whose medieval façades and doorways remain intact, wind their way slowly down from the C13th church of St. Bartolomeo. The interior of the church contains a number of valuable art works including a sixteenth-century painting depicting "the Virgin Enthroned" attributed by some art historians to the School of Raphael, a wooden sculpture of the "Virgin with Child" dating from the fifteenth century, a terracotta plaque from the same period depicting Santa Lucia from the School of Matteo Civitali, and a fifteenth century wooden sculpture by San Bartolomeo from the School of Jacopo dela Quercia.
As we make our way slowly down to the new part of the village, past the now abandoned paper mills along its banks. Here the most famous non-inhabitant of the village magically comes to life.
Masses upon masses of figurines adorn the village shops and its various stalls. Their shapes hanging in rows, different sizes, some standing, some sitting, some crouching, some lying, all distinct in their attire, which is not necessarily in keeping with the famous story but reminiscent of a more recent attempt at its reincarnation. The object of this attention was the incarnation of another famous non-inhabitant of the small village, but who did have a family connection to the village of Collodi, that of Carlo Lorenzini. Lorenzini is more famously known throughout the world as the author of the third most popular book ever written, under the pseudonym of Carlo Collodi, “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. Lorenzini used the pseudonym Collodi after his mother who hailed from the village; as he himself was born in Florence in 1826.
Pinocchio was first published in instalments by “Children’s Magazine” under the title of “The Story of a Puppet” in July 1881. The story, however, broke off abruptly several months later at chapter 16, leaving Pinocchio dangling from the branch of the great Oak, hung and left to die by two robbers. But such was the outcry that the instalments resumed in February 1882 under the title “Pinocchio’s Adventures” which continued the story up to its conclusion in January 1883.
Immediately after the publication of the final instalment the complete book was published. By the time of Collodi’s death only some 7 years later in 1890 it had reached its 5th edition in Italy, where Enrico Mazzanti, the illustrator of children’s books and personal friend of Collodi, in 1883 was the first to produce an illustration of the story of Pinocchio. The Fondazione Collodi, the organization set up to promote the work of Carlo Collodi, has developed its own graphic interpretation of Pinocchio and of all the other characters in the story called ‘Pinocchio di C. Collodi’. This interpretation mixes different contemporary graphics in an effort to keep as close to the descriptions given in the story by Collodi. The foundation does however feel that all the different representations of Pinocchio are quite acceptable, as the puppet lives in the interpretation of whoever reads the book.
Pinocchio is known and loved throughout the world, but it is difficult to imagine how the story can be understood and adapted in different cultures. The foundation have recently published “Pinocchio Exportation”, which, according to the editor, prof. Giorgio Cusatelli, gives analysis and discussion on the interpretation of “The Adventures of Pinocchio” in different cultural areas outside of Italy. Prof. Cusatelli claims that the different versions of Pinicchio in the World can help understand how Italy and the Italians are seen abroad. Foreign illustrations of Pinocchio are indeed varied. Many countries initially published the Italian illustrations in their first translations of Pinocchio. But some who have a strong tradition in illustration, such as Great Britain; France; The United States and Eastern Europe, have developed their own very original visual interpretations, sometimes aiming to reproduce or evoke an Italian atmosphere. Other countries, however, such as some in Asia or Africa, have changed Pinocchio into a national story and have used native scenarios as the background to their illustrations. Pinocchio indeed does bear some universal characteristics, growing and developing like a human being with a will to know, wanting to experiment, a lust for life and the capacity to learn from experience.
It is difficult to ascertain how much of Lorenzini is in the character of Pinocchio but it does seem from certain documented evidence that some of his characteristics do show certain similarities to the character of Pinocchio. Daniela Marcheschi, an expert in Collodi and a literary critic, claims that Collodi ‘filtered some memories and images from his childhood’. As far as we know Collodi wanted to write a story in installments for young children, and that this story could not be totally detached from the reality of life. In the end can Collodi's misbehaviour as a child and young adult be taken as the moralistic view that initiated him to write the book? We will never know, but “The Adventures of Pinocchio” have survived not only as a children’s book but also as a handbook intended for children.
The idea of celebrating the famous puppet with a commemorative park complex was first put forward in 1951 by the then mayor of Pescia, Professor Rolando Anzillotti. A commission was offered to artists calling upon them to provide an evocative tribute to Pinocchio. Eighty-four sculptors submitted their projects. The successful artists were Emilio Greco for Pinocchio and the Fairy and Venturino Venturi for the Square of Mosaics.
Established between 1956 and 1987, the Park of Pinocchio is far from being a traditional amusement park, rather it is a creation of fantasy endowed with unique charm, a precious and harmonious collective work by renowned artists which weaves a dreamlike web around those who stroll along its paths, inspiring in visitors the impression of experiencing a living story amid the enjoyment of the unspoilt pearls of nature blended with the harmonious beauty of art.
The architects Renato Baldi and Lionello De Luigi designed this first part of the Park. The Park is one of the achievements of the "Carlo Collodi" National Foundation, an educational institution that is registered as a non-profit organization.Having walked through the tight, narrow, cobbled streets of Collodi it appears that there is little in the Adventures of Pinocchio that can be traced back or even relates to the place itself. The story does not identify a precise place and the descriptions of daily life speak of a way of life that Collodi would have experienced. Marionette theatre was a popular aristocratic entertainment at the time, however puppets were very popular among the lower class of society, who enjoyed the traveling puppet theatres. The myth of a man being turned into a donkey derives from ‘The golden ass’ by Apuleio, a Latin writer, which Collodi would have studied in school. However, one suspects that the images in the book stem more from his own experiences during his travels, than with his experiences in Collodi.
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