by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Elena Mengotti, Representative of the Central Directorate for Culture and Sport, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
More than 100 events across the region will mark the upcoming bicentenary of Carlo Collodi’s birth, with readings, exhibitions and activities for children and families.
Friuli Venezia Giulia will celebrate the enduring legacy of Pinocchio with a regional reading day on Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of the 200th anniversary of the birth of its creator, Carlo Collodi, in 2026.
The initiative, titled Un libro lungo un giorno (“A Book That Lasts a Day”), will take place under the subtitle Un compleanno con il naso lungo un giorno (“A Birthday With a Long Nose”), as part of the regional reading promotion project LeggiAMO 0-18 FVG. More than 100 events are planned across the region, and readers will be invited to share their own readings and celebrations on social media using the hashtag #ullug2026.
“Reading is the first exercise of freedom, because it teaches us to know, to compare, to doubt, to acquire the ability to think,” said Mario Anzil, the region’s vice president and councillor for culture and sport.
One of the main events will take place at 4:30 p.m. at Miramare Castle in Trieste, where illustrator Nicoletta Costa will meet readers in a free event open to children ages 3 to 10, their families and other adults. Costa designed the campaign’s official poster and will present a preview of Il mio Pinocchio, an upcoming book published by LibriVolanti, featuring her illustrations and text by Giusi Quarenghi.
The event will also include an exhibition of more than 20 historic editions of Pinocchio, among them a rare original copy of the 1883 edition, the first complete publication of Collodi’s story.
Guido Comis, director of the Miramare Historical Museum and Castle Park, highlighted the role of reading in education, social inclusion and access to cultural heritage.
The celebrations will extend beyond Trieste. From Oct. 28 to 31, the treasure hunt Chi trova Pinocchio trova un tesoro!(“Who Finds Pinocchio Finds a Treasure!”), organized by Damatrà onlus, will involve more than 200 schools and libraries throughout the region.
Other activities include bilingual readings in Italian and Slovenian in Opicina on Oct. 29 and a children’s treasure hunt at Trieste’s Stelio Mattioni Library on Oct. 31.
For those unable to attend in person, the podcast Pinocchio alla Radio! will offer another way to join the celebrations. The series features young readers interpreting Collodi’s story across 36 chapters and will be available from Oct. 30 on the LeggiAMO project’s Spreaker channel.
The initiative aims to bring new generations of readers closer to one of Italy’s best-known literary characters while encouraging families, schools and communities to make reading a shared experience.
More information and the full program are available at leggiamofvg.it.
