L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano M e n t i o n P i n o c c h i o a n d m o s t Americans immediate- ly think of the 1940 block- buster film by Walt Disney that introduced the feisty w o o d e n p u p p e t w i t h t h e pointy nose to millions of children. But the Disney film classic – despite winning two Acad- emy Awards — bears little resemblance to the original b o o k , T h e A d v e n t u r e s o f Pinocchio – Story of a Pup- pet by Carlo Collodi – a fact that many who attended t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e n e w exhibit, Carissimo Pinoc- chio (Dearest Pinocchio), at C a s a I t a l i a n a a r e s u r e t o r e m e m b e r , t h a n k s t o t h e i n f o r m a t i v e p r e s e n t a t i o n given by language instructor Cecilia Strettoi. More than 80 guests were on hand to hear Strettoi's fascinating recounting not only of author Collodi and his original tale but of the tremendous impact the book has made on audiences since the late 1880s. In addition to S t r e t t o i , a l s o m a k i n g remarks at the exhibit open- ing were Elisabetta Valen- tini, honorary consul of Italy in Seattle; Anna Veraldi, representative of the Comites San Francisco; and Martin Nigrelle, president of Casa Italiana. Rosa Folla with the Comites San Francisco was also in attendance. Carissimo Pinocchio was created by ADI Design Muse- um Milano to celebrate the 140th anniversary of one of t h e w o r l d ' s m o s t b e l o v e d books. The exhibit premiered in Milan in November 2023 with illustrations and artistic o b j e c t s c r e a t e d b y w e l l - known Italian designers and artists using the world's most famous puppet as inspira- tion. Giulio Iacchetti, exhibit curator, explains the under- lying theme as a "different expression of the feelings and actions of so many Ital- ian designers: an expanded, k a l e i d o s c o p i c , s u r p r i s i n g look, capable of presenting the story of Italian design's a b i l i t y t o c r e a t e t i m e l e s s images and objects, thus cel- ebrating the myth of Geppet- to, the first Italian designer." The traveling version, with 22 objects, had its US pre- miere in San Francisco in the spring. Seattle is its second stop. The Seattle exhibit was made possible through the cooperation of the Consulate General of Italy in San Fran- cisco, Honorary Consul of Italy in Seattle, Italian Cul- tural Institute of San Fran- cisco, Comites San Francisco, and Casa Italiana. Exhibit visitors will see diverse interpretations of Pinocchio on display. There are posters and illustrations as well as artistic re-imagin- ings of everyday objects, such as side tables, teapots, candle h o l d e r s , a n d n u t c r a c k e r s with Pinocchio likenesses. Some are whimsical, others are thought-provoking. The exhibit remains on display until August 15. Admission is free. "The exhibit represents m a n y i m p o r t a n t I t a l i a n designers and artists," said V a l e n t i n i . " E a c h p i e c e i s unique, created specifically f o r t h e e x h i b i t , s o m e i n wood, some in glass, others are illustrations on paper. We are thrilled to have the exhibit here at Casa Italiana. It's the first exhibit we are co-presenting with San Fran- cisco, and we hope it will be the first of many joint pro- jects undertaken here at the Italian Cultural Center." Carlo Collodi was the pen name of a young boy from Florence named Carlo Loren- zini. Born in 1826, he was the oldest of 10 children; only four made it to adulthood. Life was hard for the family and Collodi spent much of his childhood with relatives in the town of Collodi, about 45 miles west of Florence. He tried a few different careers before settling on writing. He first entered the seminary but discovered that priesthood was not his call- ing. He worked for a time at a bookstore and then was a volunteer-soldier. In 1853, he founded a satirical newspa- per where he wrote political essays and satire for adults. By the time he reached his fifties, Collodi had become disenchanted with politics and turned his attention to w r i t i n g f o r c h i l d r e n . T h e S t o r y o f a P u p p e t f i r s t appeared in serial form in 1881 and was then published i n i t s e n t i r e t y i n 1 8 8 3 . Despite its dark themes, it resonated with Italian audi- e n c e s a n d t h e n r e a d e r s worldwide, becoming the first internationally known work of Italian children's lit- erature. Numerous international film adaptations have been based on the story of Pinoc- chio, including Italian direc- tor Matteo Garrone's 2019 v e r s i o n s t a r r i n g R o b e r t o Benigni and the 2022 ani- mated version by Guillermo del Toro. And don't forget m u s i c : s i n g e r J o h n n y Dorelli's rendition of Lettera a Pinocchio, written in 1959 by Mario Panzeri, became a pop standard in Italy. The song's opening line – "Caris- simo Pinocchio" – was the inspiration for the exhibit title. Casa Italiana/Italian Cul- t u r a l C e n t e r o p e n e d i n Burien three years ago to become the home of the Ital- ian American community in the Pacific Northwest. The space features an Italian-lan- guage lending library, Casa Caffè, a small gift shop, and the office of the honorary consul of Italy in Seattle. Events are held on a regular basis, everything from lan- g u a g e c l a s s e s a n d S c o p a lessons to presentations on the history of immigration. A large second-floor reno- vation is nearing completion, with a projected opening in the fall of 2024. The expand- ed space will include a meet- ing hall suitable for large banquets and events, a com- mercial kitchen, restrooms, and an elevator. Casa Ital- i a n a i s c u r r e n t l y s e e k i n g donations and the support of volunteers who are willing to contribute their time and tal- ents to maintain this perma- nent physical space dedicat- e d t o e m b r a c i n g a n d renewing the joy and diversi- ty of the soul and spirit of Italy. For more information, v i s i t : h t t p s : / / c a s a i t a l - ianacc.org/donate/ Carissimo Pinocchio exhibit at Casa Italiana in Seattle explores Italian design and creativity RITA CIPALLA Diverse interpretations of Pinocchio, created to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Pinocchio, are on display at Casa Italiana (Photos: Dale Smith) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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