Everyone associates Carlo Lorenzini, the author of Pinocchio, to his mother’s native town, Collodi, in the province of Pistoia (on the hills between Florence and Bologna). Only few know that in reality the writer was born in Florence, and it is in the Tuscan capital itself that he found inspiration and setting for his chef d’œuvre narrating the marionette’s adventures.
The writer lived in Villa Il Bel Riposo (villa of the good rest), hosted by his brother, and there he met Giovanna Ragionieri, the little daughter of the gardener. With her fair and long hair and shining blue eyes, the girl inspired the character of the Fairy Godmother. Then, a carpenter that worked in a shop not far from the villa became Geppetto, and two thieves were turned into the Fox and the Cat. Florence and its inhabitants are the actors of Pinocchio!
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