Pinocchio's Village – Christmas in Puglianello

A Sannio village transformed into a fairy tale

Puglianello is a tiny town in the Valle Telesina, in the province of Benevento, Campania: with just over 1,200 residents, it sits on an eight-square-kilometer territory overlooking the Volturno river, halfway between Caserta and Benevento. In this intimate setting, the municipal administration and the Pro Loco «Franco Pacelli» have decided to give Christmas a distinct identity, going beyond simple street lights: transforming the historic center into Pinocchio's Village, a scenic route that guides residents and visitors through the pages of the most translated novel in Italian literature.

The project: two hundred years of Carlo Collodi

The initiative stems from a project titled «Pinocchio's Christmas – Two hundred years of Carlo Collodi between tradition, community, and wonder», approved by the Municipality of Puglianello council on June 15, 2026. The occasion is the bicentenary of the birth of Carlo Collodi, the Florentine writer born in 1826 and author of «The Adventures of Pinocchio», an anniversary celebrated across Italy in 2026 with exhibitions, reviews, and shows. Puglianello chose to interpret it in the way most fitting for a small town: a collective December festival.

The economic framework for the initiative is 15,000 euros: 60% is requested as a grant from the Campania Region, while the remaining 40% is covered by the Pro Loco, which acts as the promoter and organizational engine of the event. Operational phases are scheduled to begin in September 2026, with activities taking place between November and December.

What the route includes

According to the approved project, Pinocchio's Village is not a static display but an itinerary to be explored, punctuated by episodes from the fairy tale. The planned elements include:

• scenic designs and artistic installations scattered throughout the historic center, with narrative references to the places and characters of the story;
• animated readings and theatrical performances dedicated to families and local schools;
• creative workshops, from puppet making to illustration;
• at least five educational events specifically aimed at schools;
• street performances featuring characters from the fairy tale along the town streets;
• Christmas concerts and artistic performances.

The stated goal is to involve at least five hundred direct participants — families, students, visitors — with an estimated indirect impact of over three thousand people across the Valle Telesina and the upper Caserta area.

Christmas markets, the heart of local tradition

Pinocchio's Village does not replace what has already been happening in Puglianello for several years, but integrates with it: the Christmas markets managed by the Pro Loco are a consolidated fixture of the local calendar. In recent editions, they have taken the form of a true «Christmas Village» hosted in the grounds of Villa Marchitto, with exhibitors, artisans, and producers from the Valle Telesina: honey, wine, extra virgin olive oil, preserves, traditional Christmas sweets, and handmade crafts, alongside a food area managed by volunteers serving hot drinks and local specialties.

A model designed to last

In the promoters' intentions, Pinocchio's Village is conceived as a stable and replicable element, destined to become the hallmark of Christmas in Puglianello even after the bicentenary: the sets, materials, and relationships built with schools and local operators are designed to be reused in subsequent editions. It is an interesting choice for a town of this size, which focuses on narrative identity rather than the scale of the event.

Why it's worth a visit

Visitors from outside will find an authentic version of Christmas in the villages of the Sannio region: no large-scale fair atmosphere, but a town putting on a show, short-supply-chain agricultural products, and a theme — Pinocchio — that speaks to children without excluding adults. All this in an area that deserves a longer stay, between Lake Telese, the abbey and medieval village of Faicchio, and the spas of the Valle Telesina.