Introduction: The Wooden Compass
Pinocchio’s journey—from mischievous puppet to courageous boy—teaches leaders how to transform flaws into virtues, rebellion into purpose, and lies into truth. His defiance of easy paths, embrace of hard-won wisdom, and resilience through trials reveal how authenticity is carved through struggle. This three-day tour traces his footsteps through Florence and Tuscany, blending literature, art, and introspection to explore how leaders can harness curiosity, honesty, and selflessness to craft enduring legacies.
Timeline
| Day | Hero’s Journey Stage | Theme | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | |||
| 9:00 AM | Call to Adventure | Awakening to Potential | Mercato Centrale (statue of Pinocchio) |
| 11:00 AM | Refusal of the Call | Temptation & Disobedience | Piazza della Repubblica (carousel) |
| 2:00 PM | Crossing the Threshold | Into the Unknown | Pinocchio Museum (story origins) |
| Day 2 | |||
| 9:00 AM | Tests, Allies, Enemies | Trials of Truth | Florence’s Oltrarno (symbolic Pleasure Island) |
| 11:00 AM | Approach the Cave | Confronting Consequences | Santa Croce Basilica (moral reckoning) |
| 2:00 PM | Transformation | Death & Rebirth | Biblioteca Riccardiana (Collodi’s manuscripts) |
| Day 3 | |||
| 9:00 AM | Apotheosis | The Selfless Hero | Uffizi Gallery (art of redemption) |
| 11:00 AM | Return with Wisdom | Becoming Real | Collodi Village (symbolic return) |
| 2:00 PM | Resurrection | Legacy in Truth | Ponte Vecchio (bridge of reinvention) |
Day 1: Call to Adventure
Location: Mercato Centrale (Pinocchio statue)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s call begins as Geppetto carves him from wood, imbuing him with chaotic potential. The Mercato, bustling with life, mirrors his hunger for experience—a leader’s first spark of ambition. Here, Collodi’s tale whispers: raw material becomes legend through action. Leaders learn that every creation demands rebellion against inertia.
Reflection: What “unfinished wood” defines your potential?
Question: How do you channel chaos into purposeful action?
Day 1: Refusal of the Call
Location: Piazza della Repubblica (carousel)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s refusal is the carousel’s siren song—escapism over duty. The spinning ride, where he first evades school, symbolizes shortcuts that derail purpose. Leaders confront instant gratification’s lure—his nose grows with every lie, a visceral reminder that authenticity demands sacrifice.
Reflection: What “carousel” tempts you away from growth?
Question: How do you measure truth in your decisions?
Day 1: Crossing the Threshold
Location: Pinocchio Museum (story origins)
Hero’s Journey Stage (200 words):
Pinocchio’s threshold is leaving home for Stromboli’s puppet show—a plunge into exploitation. The museum’s exhibits, from Fox & Cat masks to whale dioramas, reveal risks of naivety. Leaders learn that vulnerability requires discernment—his journey teaches that trust must be earned, not given.
Reflection: What “puppet show” tests your boundaries?
Question: How do you distinguish allies from opportunists?
Day 2: Tests, Allies, Enemies
Location: Oltrarno’s alleys (symbolic Pleasure Island)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s tests peak in Pleasure Island’s chaos, where boys become donkeys. Oltrarno’s labyrinthine streets, once vice-ridden, mirror self-destruction’s seduction. Leaders learn that freedom without discipline breeds ruin—his escape hinges on heeding the Cricket’s voice (conscience) over Candlewick’s recklessness.
Reflection: What “donkey ears” warn of your complacency?
Question: How do you nurture discipline in temptation’s shadow?
Day 2: Approach the Cave
Location: Santa Croce Basilica (moral reckoning)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
The cave is Pinocchio’s despair after losing Geppetto to the whale. Santa Croce’s tombs, including Collodi’s, remind leaders that crisis precedes clarity—his resurrection begins only when he stops fleeing and starts sacrificing.
Reflection: What “whale” have you avoided confronting?
Question: How does loss refine your purpose?
Day 2: Transformation
Location: Biblioteca Riccardiana (Collodi’s manuscripts)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s transformation is drowning to save Geppetto—a wooden puppet choosing love over survival. The manuscripts, marked with Collodi’s edits, show iterative courage—each draft a step toward selflessness. Leaders learn that greatness is a series of small, brave choices.
Reflection: What “drowning” moment defines your rebirth?
Question: How do you turn sacrifice into strength?
Day 3: Apotheosis
Location: Uffizi Gallery (art of redemption)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s apotheosis is becoming “real”—not through perfection, but through earned humanity. Botticelli’s Primavera here mirrors renewal through struggle—leaders learn that authenticity is a daily practice, not a destination.
Reflection: What “Blue Fairy” moment awaits your authenticity?
Question: How do you define “real” leadership?
Day 3: Return with Wisdom
Location: Collodi Village (symbolic return)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s return is mentoring others through his story. Collodi’s cobblestone streets, where Carlo Lorenzini found his pen name, teach that legacy lives in shared truth. Leaders learn that wisdom unspoken is wisdom lost.
Reflection: What “village” needs your hard-won lessons?
Question: How do you turn scars into teaching tools?
Day 3: Resurrection
Location: Ponte Vecchio (bridge of reinvention)
Hero’s Journey Stage :
Pinocchio’s resurrection is his eternal lesson: truth outlives the teller. The bridge’s enduring arches, rebuilt after war, symbolize how integrity withstands time. Leaders learn that flow comes from aligning lies discarded with truths embraced.
Reflection: What “bridge” connects your past to your future self?
Question: How will your story echo after you’re gone?
Conclusion: The Leader’s Strings
Pinocchio’s Hero’s Journey teaches:
- Truth as foundation (nose that grows).
- Sacrifice as growth (whale’s belly).
- Legacy as mentorship (Cricket’s whispers).
Final Questions:
- Mercato Centrale: What “wood” are you carved from?
- Santa Croce: What epitaph will your choices deserve?
- Ponte Vecchio: What lies must you burn to cross?
“A conscience is that still, small voice that people won’t listen to.” —Collodi’s creed for leaders.
Tour Details:
- Duration: 3 days
- Start Time: 09:30 AM
- End Time: 10:00 PM
- Cost: € 2.250 per person excluding VAT per person and excluding hotel accomodation
You can book this tour by sending Peter an email with details at peter@wearesomeone.nl
Your Tour Guide
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey & Hero’s Journey project, a storytelling firm which helps creative professionals to create careers and lives based on whatever story is most integral to their lives and careers (values, traits, skills and experiences). Peter’s approach combines in-depth storytelling and marketing expertise, and for over 20 years clients have found it effective with a wide range of creative business issues.
Peter is writer of the series The Heroine’s Journey and Hero’s Journey books, he has an MBA in Marketing, MBA in Financial Economics and graduated at university in Sociology and Communication Sciences.
The Hero's Journey in Florence 