As we keep on exploring the unusual corners of this incredible land, I have decided to go back to one of the places of my childhood. Many years ago my parents brought me to a little town between Florence and Lucca to go to a theme park dedicated to one of the most famous children books on the planet. To be perfectly honest I never really liked it: I've always found it a bit preachy but countless children all over the world can't be all wrong. I came back home a bit disappointed but the place is positively splendid. That's why this week, to celebrate the anniversary of the publication of its first chapter, What's Up Tuscany will bring you to Collodi to tell you everything there is to know about the real magic kingdom of Pinocchio. If you listen to the full episode you will learn how Carlo Lorenzini, his author, wrote it only to make some money to pay off his gambling debts and never considered it more than a "silly little story". When it became massively popular, the people of Collodi thought to turn a green area into a park dedicated to the world's most famous puppet. They enrolled many modern artists that created statues and buildings dedicated to the characters of the book. From the 1970s they placed them in a theme walk that tells the tale of the book. It's a bit highbrow and not very accessible to children but the park is really special. If you're there, check out the amazing villa next door. Its Italian garden is one of the most beautiful in Europe. A recent addition will bring you in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by exotic plants and hundreds of rare butterflies. It's a bit pricey and it's exceedingly warm but it's a surreal experience to find yourself in the Amazon in the middle of Tuscany. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY) https://www.finestresullarte.info/opere-e-artisti/parco-pinocchio-collodi-parchi-toscana https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_avventure_di_Pinocchio._Storia_di_un_burattino https://www.visittuscany.com/it/attrazioni/la-villa-e-il-giardino-garzoni-a-collodi/ http://creareverde.it/casa-delle-farfalle-collodi-butterfly-house/ BACKGROUND MUSIC Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental) Incompetech - Leopard Print Elevator Pipe Choir - Children of the Son (Instrumental) Pipe Choir - Fortress (Instrumental) Pipe Choir - Almost Time (Instrumental) Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500077 https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pc-one-children-of-the-son-creative-commons-instrumental https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pc-one-fortress-instrumental https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons http://www.pipechoir.com/