Pinocchio

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SAN MINIATO BASSO o PINOCCHIO

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It is said that Carlo Lorenzini, known as Collodi, struck by the imaginative, distinctive and original name of San Miniato Basso, namely Pinocchio, where he had lived for a time with his family, got the inspiration for the title and for the setting of his children’s book “Le Avventure di Pinocchio” right here.

Carlo Lorenzini was born on 24th November 1826.

After writing numerous stories for children, the first episode of “Le Avventure di Pinocchio was published but with the title“ Storia di un burattino”. In 1883 he published “Le avventure di Pinocchio” for the first time.

Here the links between the book of Collodi entitled “PINOCCHIO” and San Miniato Basso:

The father of Carlo Collodi, for his skill as a chef, was hired by a wealthy family who lived near “Quattro strade” of Pinocchio and he remained there several years.

Lorenzini knew perfectly well the location of the hills of San Miniato where his father worked, he memorized news about places and people that in the future he wouldl use in the children’s book“Le Avventure di Pinocchio”

It is sure that the hills were full of Mediterranean vegetation with “pines” in the foreground: pinocchio and pinoccolo froml Latin PINUS, with a diminutive PINUCULUS.

Seed of the pine: also known as Pinolo, Pinottolo, Pignolo, Pinello.

Deriv. Pinocchiate, Pinocchino.

In fact people of San Miniato Basso, are called “pinocchini” and there are zones called “Pinocchietto”

That’s why we think that Collodi, , alias Carlo Lorenzini, took the name for his story from this city, corroborated also by its writing, where Geppetto must give a name to his wooden puppet and says:

“… I know an entire family of Pinocchi, Pinocchio the father , Pinocchia the mother and Pinocchi the children and all people are doing all right. The richest of them is reduced to begging.”

Many are the locations that remember the links with the book

The Tavern of Gambero Rosso

This is the location where a lot of pilgrims and had something to eat and drink along Via Francigena from Fucecchio. We think that this is the tavern described in the book also because to the Tavern were delivered fish and red shrimps caught in the near swamp of Fucecchio.

We don’t know if the red shrimp described in the book was the coat of arms of the Tavern or a typical dish. Collodi let the Cat, the Fox and Pinocchio cme this way during the trip to “campo dei miracoli”( field of miracles).

The Campo of Miracoli

A location called “Fonte delle Fate”is in the valley under the police station of San Miniato, currently Fontevivo, here they found the remains of an ancient source.

“Fonte delle Fate” is the location where Collodi let Pinocchio go after he had been robbed of his money and he called it “il campo dei miracoli”.

The Prisons

Another proof is “Le Carceri”( the jail), just a few kilometers from Campo dei Miracoli where Pinocchio will be locked up.

The Grillo Parlante (Talking Cricket)

The author knew that near the village of Sant’Angelo was a “podere della casa del grillo”(farm of the house of the cricket) part of a street leading to the main road and this street was called ‘’via Grillo’’

The Forche

The place where Pinocchio was hanged by the two killers. We thought that “le force ”was the place where killers and prisoners from wars between Florence and Pisa were hanged. The place was full of oaks, right for the purpose.

The Capelli Turchini Fairy and the small white House

The “white house” or “la casetta” of the fairy is the small house of Sant’Angelo that for many years had always been painted of white. On the façade is a gravestone of a young dead woman in 1848 at the age of 28 years, that describes her as good. All this looks like the paragraph where it was told the death of the fairy.

The Whale and the Sea

In the history Pinocchio was swallowed by the whale and near the town of Porto di Mezzo near Signa, that isn’t far away from San Miniato it was found a “lisca”(bone) or “fisetere” of a capidoglio(sperm whale). The bone is still under the rain gutter of a house along the S.S.67 in locality of Porto di Mezzo, near Signa.

The House of Geppetto

Could be a space below a staircase of an old house, long time ago the home of a carpenter.

The house is now in very bad conditons and surrounded by plants, but the street sign is still readable and in very good condition.

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