Collodi - The town of Pinocchio
written by Chiara Guzzetti
Pinocchio
This ancient village, whose existence has been established since the end of the twelfth century, has a similar origin to those of many other medieval towns, chiefly by the military population was forced to climb the hill to better defend themselves against attack by enemies.
Collodi looks like a veritable cascade of small houses climbing on the slope of a steep hillside and placed on the sides of two triangles that touch with the leaders.
A base of the triangle consisting of the Rock, the other of the majestic Villa Garzoni, which stands on the ruins of the medieval castle.
Walking through the narrow streets of the country one can note with astonishment the conservation status of the village.
You can still see the stones that pave the narrow streets between the houses that largely retain their medieval appearance, the remains of structures such as some fortified gates of the village, and at the ends we see the rock with a big fence and some towers, one of which turned into a bell tower. Now the square of the castle includes the splendid Church of San Bartolomeo where you can enjoy a splendid view.
Collodi now focuses its activities around the tourist attractions: villa Garzoni, its garden and the famous Parco di Pinocchio.
At any time of the year, but especially from April to October, Collodi houses thousands of visits from all over Italy and abroad. A tourist who arrives in Collodi stumbles once in the many stalls that can satisfy every need, it offers good food, drinks, and souvenirs. If a tourist is in Collodi around August 24th, he will find the best entertainment for young and old people: infact in this period it is celebrated the patron of the country and just this week in Collodi there is also the Luna Park which adds even that atmosphere of fun.
On the day August tourists will also have free access to the Villa Garzoni and the Garden