Collodi e la matematica. L’Abbaco di Giannettino e l’aritmetica per le scuole elementari italiane a cavallo tra XIX e XX secolo

The authors present a first study about some mathematics texts for children written by Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi) between 1884 and 1889. In addition to his most famous literary works, Pinocchio’s father, in fact, wrote a series of didactic booklets for boys and girls of the lower cycle of elementary schools, which were published in the «Collana Scolastica» of the Paggi publisher in Florence. These booklets consist of the so-called Giannettini series, centered on the character of Giannettino, as well as two Libro di Lezioni respectively for the Second and the Third elementary class (1889). Here the lesser known L’Abbaco di Giannettino per le scuole elementare (1884) will be analysed and compared with the Lezioni of 1889, with respect to mathematics content, literary style and teaching approach used by Collodi.