The small town of Collodi, province Lucca, celebrates the birthday of Pinocchio at the end of May every year.

Celebrations of Pinocchio's Birthday take place in the Parco di Pinocchio; the park consist of gardens featuring mosaics and complex entirely devoted to the adventures of the puppet, plus a maze, playground, exhibition centre and children’s restaurant.

During the celebration park welcomes children and their families with a special birthday party, which begins with a prize-giving to reward schools who have produced the best birthday cards. The celebration is followed by live music, puppet theatres, the eating of a massive birthday cake and lots of fun for everybody. For a few days before and afterwards, the children's artwork is exhibited. The author of "The Adventures of Pinocchio", Carlo Lorenzini was born in Florence but his uncle was custodian of the Villa Garzoni and Lorenzini frequently stayed here as a child. Fond memories led him to use Collodi as his pen name and in 1956 the town decided to repay the compliment by setting up the theme park.

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• Pinocchio