Fontana a Pinocchio, Bronze fountain and monument in Corso Indipendenza, Milan, Italy.
The Fontana a Pinocchio is a bronze fountain on a traffic island in Corso Indipendenza in Milan, showing the main character alongside his former puppet form. The ensemble displays several characters from Collodi's story as an integrated composition.
The bronze group was made by sculptor Attilio Fagioli in 1955 and cast by the Fonderia Artistica Battaglia. It was donated to Milan by the Famiglia Artistica and inaugurated on 19 May 1956; local papers called it the Pinocchio of the Madonnina, contrasting it with Emilio Greco's statue for Collodi. Fagioli, who was fond of this late work, restored it himself more than once.
The fountain takes its name from Carlo Collodi's puppet, and Milanese papers presented it as the city's own "Pinocchio della Madonnina", contrasting Fagioli's realistic figure with Emilio Greco's statue at Collodi. The pedestal carries a line by the Milanese poet Antonio Negri, drawn from Collodi's book: "Com'ero buffo quand'ero un burattino! E tu che mi guardi, sei ben sicuro di aver domato il burattino che vive in te?"
The monument sits on a traffic island and is easily reached on foot from surrounding areas. The neighborhood is well served by public transportation and has numerous shops and services nearby.
The original sculpture group included supporting characters like the Cat and the Fox, both of which suffered heavy damage from vandalism over the years. Traces of these past attacks remain visible on the bronze figures today.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,753 contributors worldwide.