Fabulando - Gianni Rodari Literary Prize

A Fairy-Tale Prize Named After Gianni Rodari

Fabulando is the literary and illustration prize that the Municipality of Pieve Torina, in the heart of the Monti Sibillini mountains in the province of Macerata (Marche), has dedicated for twenty years to Gianni Rodari, the master of imagination and the art of storytelling. Every spring, the event attracts hundreds of children and young people and about twenty school institutions from all over Italy and abroad, transforming the small Marche village into the "land of fairy tales".

The Competition and Its Sections

The prize invites students to experiment with the art of storytelling through different languages. The competition sections award excellence in writing, illustration, and video, with works created by primary and secondary school classes. Each year, over 150 entries are received, a sign of participation that has crossed regional borders: in recent editions, delegations from Bolzano and Croatia have also competed, confirming the event's international scope.

Rodari Park and the Space of Imagination

The heart of Fabulando is the Rodari Park in Pieve Torina, a green space populated by sculptures inspired by the writer's fairy tales, such as the ant and the grasshopper, created by artist Nazareno Rocchetti. The park and the "Space of Imagination" make tangible the link between the village and Rodari's imaginary world, offering children a place where creativity becomes a concrete experience.

Guests and Masterclasses

Alongside the awards ceremony, Fabulando features meetings with nationally renowned authors, illustrators, and scholars. Among the guests at recent editions are Rodari illustrator Nicoletta Costa, neuroscientist Daniela Lucangeli, and writer Luca Tortolini, winner of the Andersen Prize. The afternoon masterclass addresses themes of education through emotions, play, and creativity, in dialogue with the world of schools.

A Village Reborn Through Culture

For Pieve Torina, a municipality affected by the 2016 earthquake, Fabulando represents much more than a competition: it is an identity-building event that unites schools, the community, and the territory around the value of imagination. The event takes place in the Marche Region with the patronage of the Municipality and the collaboration of the Regional School Office, and has become a reference point for promoting reading and creativity among young people.