Collodi, Carlo - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 1157

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

COLLODI, CARLO. - Pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini, born in Florence on Nov. 24, 1826, died there on Oct. [sic] 26

Article illustration — (from M. Parenti, *Rarità bibliografiche dell'Ottocento*, Bergamo 1915, p. 111) COLLODI, CARLO - Illustration by E. Mazzanti for *Le avventure di Pinocchio*, Florence 1883.

oct. 1890. He derived the pseudonym Collodi from his mother's native village. For 3 years he was in the seminary of Colle Val d'Elsa, and continued his studies in Florence under the Piarists. In 1848 he fought at Montanara; he was then a theatrical censor in the prefecture of Florence and wrote three mediocre comedies.

Having turned to journalism, he founded Il Lampione and La scaramuccia. In 1859 he enlisted as a volunteer in the 'Novara' cavalry regiment. After publishing various works for adults: I misteri di Firenze (novel), Macchiette (short stories), Occhi e naso (short stories), Note gaie (articles), etc., he dedicated himself to children's literature. In 1881 he began to publish, in installments in the Giornale dei bambini, Le avventure di Pinocchio, which met with extraordinary success and have been translated into almost all languages. Such widespread fortune, in addition to artistic merits, is due to that sententious and good-natured morality expressed in a tone between skeptical and judicious. The moral lesson of Pinocchio's fable does not degenerate into sterile preceptism, because C. succeeds, almost unconsciously, in inserting his fantasy into the movement and sense of truth. For youth C. also wrote: Giannettino, Minuzzolo, Storie allegre e altri racconti, always with educational aims and a touch of humor. He also adapted the Racconti delle fate by Charles Perrault.

BIBL.: Opere: Tutto Collodi, Firenze 1947. Studi: G. Rigutini, prefazione alle Note gaie di C. C., Firenze 1892; G. Biasi, Passatisti, ivi 1923, pp. 87-114; P. Pancrazi, Venti uomini, un satira e un burattino, ivi 1923, pp. 197-205; G. Sparito, Opere e cervelli. Soliloqui, Noto 1928 (v. indice); U. Biscottini, Pinocchio uomo qualunque, Milano 1941; A. Savinio (pseudonimo di A. De Chirico), Narrate, uomini, la vostra storia, Milano 1942, pp. 177-96; P. Bargellini, La verità di Pinocchio, Brescia 1942; A. Baldini, Fine Ottocento, Firenze 1947, pp. 118-24; S. Desideri, C., Roma-Genova 1948. Silvio Pasquazi