COLLODI, ITALY/PINOCCHIO PARK

Il Parco Di Pinocchio (Pinocchio Park) in Collodi, Italy
Via di S. Gennaro, 3 I-51012 Collodi PT Italy
Tel.: +39 0572 429342

For anyone traveling through Tuscany with kids, or anyone traveling who’s simply still a kid at heart, stopping at Il Parco di Pinocchio is a must! While there is an amusement park component of the location (a few rides, a couple jungle gyms, an outdoor theater for live Pinocchio puppet shows), there are also beautiful and serene walking trails. These trails lead you between yards of lush greenery and various statues of characters from Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio. Clearly, it is no coincidence that the town and author share the same name. Carlo Collodi, originally Carlo Lorenzini, was born in Florence in 1826, although he spent most of his childhood in the town of Collodi where his mother was born. Years later, when he became a writer, he changed his pen-name to honor his beloved town.

We only spent about an hour or so at Pinocchio Park itself but in that time I think we caught all the highlights. The kids went on two carousel rides, slid down a slide, sat in on a puppet show (they couldn’t understand much since it wasn’t in English but they sure knew every time the name “Pinocchio” came up!), swung on a child-friendly zipline and met the Fox, the Cat and Pinocchio himself.

We also visited the on-site museum, toured Geppetto’s workshop and ran through the winding walking path, posing with statues from Carlo Collodi’s book. After all of this excitement (and it really was), we stopped for a quick cappuccino and biscotti at one of the cafe/bar’s outside of the park’s entrance. From there we buzzed across the street to Villa Garzoni where we stopped long enough to waltz through the stunning gardens before hitting the road for our next destination: Siena.

Collodi is well worth the visit for anyone with an appreciation for classic children’s literature and a big imagination. It really is an enchanting place and though it was short, our visit there left us with wonderful memories and a plan to return!

A traveler since childhood, Juliana Fraioli Wilson has always had a love for exploring. She is a published writer and an accomplished business owner with a background in music and art. Join Juliana, her husband Ryan, and their two kids in Wanderland! Follow along as they share tips, tricks, recipes and reviews from some of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world.