The Carlo Collodi National Foundation is a non-profit organisation that has been dedicated to promoting the culture of children and for children since 1962, starting with the literary masterpiece The Adventures of Pinocchio. Its artistic and human values, and above all its much-loved protagonist Pinocchio, make this work an extraordinarily effective tool for raising awareness among children and adults on a wide range of issues, arousing enthusiasm and a positive attitude towards quality educational and recreational proposals.
The Foundation originated from the Committee for a Pinocchio Monument, chaired by Professor Rolando Anzilotti, who realised the original part of the Pinocchio Park: Pinocchio and the Fairy by Emilio Greco and the Piazzetta dei Mosaici by Venturino Venturi, set in a green space designed by Renato Baldi and Lionello De Luigi. The Committee had also launched other cultural initiatives, later inherited and continued by the Fondazione Collodi: the collection of Collodi editions, the study of the life and works of Carlo Collodi, writing and illustration competitions for children’s books, and competitions for schools.
The decision to continue working in the field of culture and cultural tourism, together with the success of the Pinocchio Park decreed by visitors, led to the establishment of the Carlo Collodi National Foundation in 1962, recognised by Presidential Decree no. 1313 of 18 July 1962.
Today, the Collodi Foundation owns and manages the Pinocchio Park, owns and manages the Villa and the historic Garzoni Garden and the House of Butterflies, in which it takes care of educational and cultural activities; it has purchased and restored Villa Arcangeli in Collodi to make it its headquarters and to house the Collodi Library; it has organised permanent and travelling exhibitions, promoted conferences, research and translations, published essays, and collaborated with cultural institutions and operators in Italy and around the world. In order to economically support its activities and to affirm a culturally motivated image of the puppet Pinocchio, it has deposited a Pinocchio faithful to the original Collodi setting and started a licensing activity of certified products
Since 1990 the Foundation has been continuously included in the Table of Cultural Institutions of National Interest established by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. The Foundation is also included in the Table of Cultural Institutions of Regional Importance of the Region of Tuscany.