Happy Birthday Pinocchio! May 25th 2008
Pinocchio's Birthday is celebrated May 25 in the Tuscan town of Pescia located on the train line from Florence to Lucca, famous for its Flower Market and the Adventures of Pinocchio, a fictional character that first appeared in 1883 by Carlo Collodi. Carved from a piece of pine by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, he was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamt of becoming a real boy. The name "Pinocchio" is derived from the Italian words pino (pine tree), and occhio (eye), i.e. pine-eye. In the Tuscan dialect, pinocchio is the term used to refer to the pine nut.
The Adventures of Pinocchio comes to life in Italy's Pinocchio Park, in the village of Collodi. Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio's creator, took his pen name from Collodi, birthplace of his mother. The park tells Collodi's version of the Pinocchio story through sculpture, mosaics and puppet shows.
Pinocchio Park is a great place to take kids. A winding path leads visitors through the Village of Pinocchio as they encounter statues of characters from the story. The park also has a snack bar and picnic area, amusement park for small children, a theater for puppet shows, and a museum and gift shop. There's even an internet train to keep the parents occupied.
Pinocchio Park is open every day, 8:30 to sunset.
The medieval hillside village of Collodi, 17km northeast of Lucca in Tuscany, is an interesting place to visit, too. Also in Collodi, near Pinocchio Park, is the Garzoni Garden. A combination ticket is available to visit both places.