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Carlo Collodi

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"Collodi" redirects here. For the fraction of the municipality of Pescia in Tuscany, Italy, seeCollodi (Italy).

Carlo Collodi
1890 sketch of Collodi
1890 sketch of Collodi
BornCarlo Lorenzini
(1826-11-24)24 November 1826
Florence,Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Died26 October 1890(1890-10-26)(aged 63)
Florence,Kingdom of Italy
Occupation
  • Writer
  • novelist
NationalityItalian
Genre
Pinocchio, byEnrico Mazzanti(1852–1910), the first illustrator (1883) ofThe Adventures of Pinocchio

Carlo Lorenzini(24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen nameCarlo Collodi(Italian:[ˈkarlokolˈlɔːdi]), was an Italian author, humourist,[1]and journalist,[2]widely known for hisfairy tale novelThe Adventures of Pinocchio.

Early life[edit]

Collodi was born inFlorenceon 24 November 1826. His mother Angiolina Orzali Lorenzini was a seamstress fromCollodi,the town from which he later took the pen name, and his father Domenico Lorenzini was a cook.[3]Both parents worked for themarcheseGinori Lisci.[1]Carlo was the eldest child in the family[4]and he had ten siblings; seven died at a young age.[5]He spent most of his childhood in the town of Collodi where his mother was born. He lived there with his maternal grandmother. After attending primary school, he was sent to study at atheological seminaryinColle Val d’Elsa.[4]An account at the seminary shows that themarchesehad offered financial aid, but the boy found that he did not want to be a priest so he continued his education at the College of the Scolopi Fathers in Florence.[6]In 1844, he started working at the Florentine bookstore Libreria Piatti, where he assisted Giuseppe Aiazzi, a prominent Italian manuscript specialist.[6]

Career[edit]

During theItalian Wars of Independencein 1848 and 1860, Collodi served as a volunteer with theTuscan Army.His active interest in political matters can be seen in his earliest literary works, as well as in the founding of the satirical newspaperIl Lampionein 1853.[7]This newspaper was censored by order of theGrand Duke of Tuscany.[8][9]In 1854, he published his second newspaper,Lo scaramuccia( "The Controversy" ).[10]Lorenzini's first publications were in his periodicals. A debut came in 1856 with the playGli amici di casaand parodic guidebookUn romanzo in vapore,both in 1856.[11]By 1860, he published his first notable work calledIl signor Alberi ha ragione!(Mr. Alberi Is Right!), which outlined his political and cultural vision of Italy. This is the text where Lorenzini started using the Collodi pseudonym, which was taken from his mother's hometown.[1]

Collodi had also begun intense activity on other political newspapers such asIl Fanfulla;at the same time he was employed by the Censorship Commission for the Theatre. During this period he composed various satirical sketches and stories (sometimes simply by collating earlier articles), includingMacchiette(1880),Occhi e nasi(1881), andStorie allegre(1887).[1]

Collodi became disenchanted with Italian politics afterwards, so he turned to children's literature and his first works involved translating French fairy tales into Italian.[4]In 1875, for instance, he completedRacconti delle fate,a translation of French fairy tales byCharles Perrault.In 1876, Collodi wroteGiannettino(inspired by Alessandro Luigi Parravicini'sGiannetto), theMinuzzolo,andIl viaggio per l'Italia di Giannettino,a pedagogic series which explored the unification of Italy through the ironic thoughts and actions of the character Giannettino.[1]

Lorenzini became fascinated by the idea of using an amiable, rascally character as a means of expressing his own convictions throughallegory.In 1880, he began writingStoria di un burattino(Story of aMarionette), also calledLe avventure di Pinocchio,which was published weekly inGiornale per i bambini.[1]Pinocchiowas adapted intoa 1940 film by Disneythat is considered to be one of Disney's greatest films.[12][13][14]

Collodi died suddenly in Florence on 26 October 1890 at the age of 63 and is interred at Cimitero Monumentale Delle Porte Sante in Florence.[15]The National Carlo Collodi Foundation was established in 1962 to promote education and the works of Collodi,[16]and Pinocchio Park, which was opened in 1956 in the town of Collodi and remains a popular attraction today.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefMarrone, Gaetana; Puppa, Paolo (2006).Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies.New York: Routledge. pp.485.ISBN9781579583903.
  2. ^"C. Collodi | Italian author".Encyclopedia Britannica.22 October 2023.
  3. ^"Carlo Collodi".authorscalendar.info.Retrieved12 June2023.
  4. ^abcBarchers, Suzanne; Pfeffinger, Charla (2011).Multi-Grade Readers Theatre: Stories about Short Story and Book Authors.Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 55.ISBN9781598848014.
  5. ^"Pinocchio: Carlo Collodi | Encyclopedia.com".www.encyclopedia.com.Retrieved12 June2023.
  6. ^abZipes, Jack (1997).Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry.New York: Routledge. p. 74.ISBN0415918502.
  7. ^"Carlo Collodi: the Florentine Father of Pinocchio - Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort".11 October 2022.Retrieved12 June2023.
  8. ^"Carlo Collodi Biography | Authors | Read & Co. Books".Retrieved12 June2023.
  9. ^"Carlo Collodi".New York Review Books.Retrieved12 June2023.
  10. ^Jack Zines. «Introduction». In: Carlo Collordi.Pinnochio.Penguin Books 2002.ISBN0-14-243706-9
  11. ^Carlo Collodi: other works;pinocchio.it
  12. ^Maltin, Leonard (1973). Maltin, Leonard (ed.).The Disney Book: Pinocchio.New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. p. 37.
  13. ^"AFI: 10 Top 10".www.afi.com.Retrieved19 February2019.
  14. ^Nugent, Frank S. (8 February 1940)."THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; 'Pinocchio,' Walt Disney's Long-Awaited Successor to 'Snow White,' Has Its Premiere at the Center Theatre--Other New Films".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved19 February2019.
  15. ^Proietti 2006.
  16. ^[email protected], e-Project-."The Carlo Collodi National Foundation - Fondazione Collodi".www.fondazionecollodi.it.Retrieved12 June2023.
  17. ^"Pinocchio Park".Atlas Obscura.Retrieved14 September2023.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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