header1

The Carlo Collodi National Foundation

The Foundation and Its History

The Carlo Collodi National Foundation is a non-profit organization that, since 1962, has dedicated itself to promoting a culture of and for children, starting with the literary masterpiece, The Adventures of Pinocchio. The book’s artistic and human values and, above all, its beloved protagonist Pinocchio have made this work an extraordinarily effective tool for sensitizing children and adults to the most diverse themes. It stimulates enthusiasm and a positive attitude towards quality educational and recreational measures.

The foundation was created by the Committee for a Monument to Pinocchio, chaired by Professor Rolando Anzilotti, which carried out the original part of Pinocchio Park. Pinocchio and the Fairy by Emilio Greco and the Piazzetta dei Mosaici by Venturino Venturi were located in a green space designed by Renato Baldi and Lionello De Luigi. The committee also initiated other cultural initiatives, later inherited and continued by the Collodi Foundation: the collection of Collodian editions, the study of Carlo Collodi’s life and works, writing and illustration competitions for children’s books, and school competitions.
The choice to continue working in the fields of culture and cultural tourism, with Pinocchio Park’s success determined by its visitors, allowed the Carlo Collodi National Foundation to be established in 1962, recognized by Decree of the President of the Republic no. 1313 of 18 July 1962.

Today the Collodi Foundation owns and manages Pinocchio Park plus the villa, the Garzoni Historic Garden, and the Butterfly House, where it handles educational and cultural activities. The foundation has bought and restored Villa Arcangeli in Collodi as its headquarters and space for the Collodian Library. It has created permanent and traveling exhibitions; promoted conferences, research, and translations; published essays; and partnered with cultural institutions and operators in Italy and around the world. To support its activities financially and affirm a culturally driven image of the puppet Pinocchio, it has filed a Pinocchio faithful to the original Collodi model and started a  certified product -licensing process

Since 1990, the foundation has been constantly included in the Table of Cultural Institutions of National Interest established by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities. The foundation is also included in the Tuscan Region’s Cultural Institutions of Regional Importance Table.

Villa Arcangeli slider

Villa Arcangeli (Collodi), offices of the Carlo Collodi National Foundation