Carlo Collodi

Born Carlo Lorenzini in Florence on November 24, 1826, he later took the pen name Carlo Collodi from the Tuscan village connected with his family. He became a journalist and writer during the years of Italian unification, and his early work included political and satirical writing.

Collodi is remembered above all for The Adventures of Pinocchio, first published in serialized form in the early 1880s. The book's mix of fantasy, humor, danger, and moral lessons helped make Pinocchio one of the best-known characters in children's literature.

He died in Florence on October 26, 1890, but his most famous creation has never gone out of print. What still makes his work appealing is the way it speaks to both children and adults: playful on the surface, but full of feeling and hard-earned wisdom underneath.