The adventures of Pinocchio
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.
Garzoni garden is a beautiful Baroque garden with pools, waterfalls, statues and a maze. From the entrance, the garden unfolds before your eyes, creating a magnificent scene. The Garzoni garden is considered to be one of the best gardens not only in Tuscany but in all of Italy.
Garzoni Castle dates from the early 1600’s and was built by the powerful Garzoni family from Pescia who were sent into exile. They decided to build a villa in Collodi near the ancient border of the Republic of Lucca. By 1652 the garden was laid out in its present form.
Garzoni Garden is in the village of Collodi, 17km northeast of Lucca. You can buy a combination ticket to visit both Garzoni Garden and the nearby Pinocchio Park. The garden is open all year from 9:00 until sunset but from November 15 – March 15 it’s only open on weekends and holidays.
Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net
“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb
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