Pinocchio Award 2025: Florence celebrates its protagonists of imagination, talent, and civic engagement in the spectacular Luca Giordano Hall of Palazzo Medici Riccardi. On November 24, the award ceremony for the Pinocchio Award 2025, the annual event promoted by the Pinocchio Cultural Association of Carlo Lorenzini, will take place.
Under the guidance of president Anna Iacobacci, the event continues to grow in popularity and affection on the part of the city: a sign that the famous puppet, with his fragility and all-too-human courage, remains a companion on the journey through childhood and the formation of generations.
As per tradition, each award was paired with one of the characters from Lorenzini’s masterpiece, transforming it into a symbolic tale of the values embodied by the winners.
This year’s awards
- Pinocchio – Fantasy and Reality to Paolo Conticini
- Master Geppetto – Craftsmanship/Business/Commerce to Ginevra Moretti
- Talking Cricket – Knowledge/Science/Culture/Criticism to Maurizio de Giovanni
- Mangiafuoco – Cinema/Entertainment/Theater/Television to Giovanni Bernabei
And also:
- Cat and Fox – Environment/Dialectics/Knowledge to Rosa Maria Di Giorgi
- Albero degli Zecchini – Economy/Finance to Daniela Mori
- Fata Turchina – Fashion/Art/Collecting to Irene Sanesi
- Osteria del Gambero Rosso – Catering/Hospitality/Nutrition to Diana Frescobaldi
- Paese dei Balocchi – Games/Entertainment/Creativity to Roberto Giacinti and Silvano Gori
- Pesce-Cane – Sport/Victories/Sustainability to Edoardo Malagigi
- Colombo – Patronage/Associations to Roberto Marcori
- I Carabinieri – Security/Legality to Cinzia Gagliardi, commander of the Carabinieri Forestale Toscana Region
The morning began with a performance by the young talents of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole – Miriam Cancellieri, Riccardo Fametti, Filippo Maria Delle Vergini, and Luca Gonnelli – who enriched the atmosphere with an elegant and engaging performance.
The event was hosted by Stefano Baragli and Elena Tempestini, while the official opening featured Professor Anna Kraczyna, who introduced the audience with a passionate speech dedicated to the world of Pinocchio.
During her speech, President Anna Iacobacci recalled the most authentic essence of the Award:
“Today we reward the courage of those who, like Pinocchio, choose not to remain a piece of wood, but to become a person, courageously overcoming their weaknesses and surpassing their limits. Collodi’s fairy tale continues to speak to us of freedom, responsibility, and the value of a job well done. For Florence, the Pinocchio Award is a bridge between literature and civic engagement, between history and the present.”
The image on this edition’s poster was kindly provided by artist Paolo Lazzerini from Pietrasanta:
“Pinocchio has always had a special place in my art. Pinocchio is not just a puppet: he represents the art of learning to become oneself. He is childhood that never stops talking to us.”
