The Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park: what it is and where to find it

The Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park is a themed cultural park dedicated to the life and work of writer Gianni Rodari, located in Omegna, on Lake Orta, Piedmont. It hosts creative workshops, theatre shows, interactive installations and educational trails aimed at children and families — but equally capable of engaging anyone who hasn’t yet stopped asking pointless questions. It is approximately twenty minutes by car from B&B Seme di Faggio in Miasino, making it the perfect day trip for anyone wishing to recharge with a generous dose of organised imagination.

The morning creativity needed a way out

Staying at Guest House Seme di Faggio in Miasino is always a restorative experience, but that particular morning I woke up with a creative explosion that needed an outlet. And where better to release it than the Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park in Omegna?

This enchanted corner, dedicated to the memory and work of the great writer, seems designed to awaken the child inside us and to stimulate the imagination at any age. I grab the car and twenty minutes later I’ve arrived, ready to explore a place where reality and imagination merge into one, where words come to life and dreams turn into stories.

The sun beats down hard on Omegna, but not as hard as the happiness in the air — the children’s happiness and, I’ll admit, mine too. Here I am, wide-eyed in front of the “Fantastic Duo“. I already feel slightly out of place… but with style.

The Interactive Story Workshop: the Fantastic Duo in action

I make my way to the workshop area, where I discover they do storytelling. My first reaction? “Didn’t we used to just call this telling a story?” Fair enough — let’s keep up with the times.

We join the “Travelling Interactive Story Workshop“: the guide invites us to reinvent one of Rodari’s fairy tales. Obviously, I can’t resist. I decide to introduce an alien shaped like a giant lightbulb, who speaks exclusively in Bolognese dialect and occasionally hurls kitchen sauces. I ask if that works. The guide looks at me blankly, then smiles and says: “Of course — anything is possible in Rodari’s world!” Perfect. Another one of my outlandish ideas has found a home.

The Fantastic Duo — one of Rodari’s most celebrated creative techniques — involves pairing two distant words to generate unexpected stories. Alien + Bolognese dialect works perfectly. Rodari would be proud. Or at least intrigued.

The Nursery Rhyme Workshop: Eminem meets Perrault

Then I dive into the “Nursery Rhyme Workshop“. Here I feel a bit like Eminem meeting Perrault. The relentless flow softens, transforms into a lullaby that rocks you into chaos.

“Once upon a time there was a rapper, handsome and crooked, who made his garden out of rhymes.”

Does it sound like a critique of a rap album? No, it’s just the Rodari effect in full swing. For those wishing to explore the technique of nursery rhymes as an educational tool, the official website of the Fantasy Park is an authoritative reference — and surprisingly less eccentric than it sounds.

The Land of Mistakes: my natural habitat

Next, I wander into the “Land of Mistakes” — a space where errors are celebrated as contemporary works of art. Children must solve “wrong” riddles. And let’s be honest: mistakes are where I live.

They ask me to solve a riddle and I answer with total confidence: “17.” The guide looks slightly confused and says: “But the question was: how many planets does the solar system have?” I’m not deterred. I explain that 17 is correct… if you count the ones that are still looking for parking.

This is precisely where I feel at home. Mistakes are my natural habitat, the fertile ground from which reflection grows. “Little Red Riding Hood meets the vegan wolf in the metaverse” could easily become next summer’s catchphrase. Who knows?

The theatre show: Baron Lamberto was there twice

At 3pm it’s time for the theatre show. They perform Baron Lamberto was there twice by Rodari. The actors are good, the children are engaged, but I’m puzzled: why does nobody ask why he was there twice and not three times? I would immediately propose a trilogy.

At the end they invite me on stage to improvise a part. My moment of glory. I invent a monologue on the life of the mould growing on the bread forgotten in the kitchen drawer. Applause or collective discomfort? Honestly, I have no idea. But it was liberating.

Why it’s worth going (even without children)

The Fantasy Park is a place where you can be creative, funny and a little absurd. What do I think? If it wasn’t already clear — I adore it. It’s a place where you can say whatever crosses your mind without anyone raising an eyebrow. Yes: Rodari had figured everything out about life.

It’s suitable for families with children, but equally for adults who have forgotten what it means to give wrong answers to the right questions. An afternoon at the Fantasy Park is worth more than many hours of motivational coaching — it costs less and makes you laugh considerably more.

Those in the area can round off the day with a walk along Lake Orta or, if the legs are still willing and the wallet is ready, with a visit to the Made in Italy outlet in Omegna — where imagination, for once, has been colouring kitchens around the world for about a century. A place that shares at least one thing with Rodari: the idea that Italian creativity can take the most unexpected of forms.

Back to Seme di Faggio

And so, at the end of the day — between dialectal aliens, planets still looking for parking and philosophical reflections on mould — I am shattered, reborn and inspired. It’s as though I’ve just had a freestyle session with Rodari himself. I head back to Seme di Faggio with a head full of rhymes and stories, ready to create the most surreal material ever committed to paper.

Rodari takes you, shakes you and sends you back to where you started, confused. But it’s a creative confusion, a chaos that generates new universes. Like music, like life, like these lines you’re reading right now.

The message is clear: seek out Rodari, find the child inside you. Because it’s only by playing with words that you become a true artist, truly free. Imagination to the power — always with a pinch of irony. Because without a smile, even the most serious revolution risks becoming complete nonsense.

Book your stay and bring your imagination on holiday

Have you ever thought about giving your creativity a holiday?

At B&B Seme di Faggio in Miasino, every morning is an inspiration and every day is a story waiting to be written. Whether you want to lose yourself in Rodari’s stories, reinvent fairy tales or simply let your imagination take the wheel, you’ll find the perfect refuge for your restless mind here — twenty minutes from Omegna and just steps from the trails of Lake Orta.

📖 Book your room now and let the creative chaos do the rest.

FAQ — Frequently asked questions about the Rodari Fantasy Park

What is the Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park? The Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park is a cultural centre and themed park dedicated to writer Gianni Rodari, located in Omegna, on Lake Orta. It hosts interactive creative workshops, theatre shows, educational trails and installations. Open to children and families, it is designed to stimulate the imagination of anyone, at any age.

Where is the Rodari Fantasy Park? The Fantasy Park is in Omegna, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, on Lake Orta, Piedmont. It can be reached by car in approximately 20 minutes from B&B Seme di Faggio in Miasino and in approximately 15 minutes from Orta San Giulio.

What can you do at the Rodari Fantasy Park in Omegna? At the Fantasy Park you can take part in creative workshops including the Travelling Interactive Story Workshop, the Nursery Rhyme Workshop and the Land of Mistakes. There are theatre shows based on Rodari’s works and thematic trails dedicated to the Fantastic Duo and his narrative techniques.

Is the Fantasy Park only suitable for children? No. The Fantasy Park is designed primarily for children and families, but it is visited and enjoyed by adults, teachers and fans of Rodari’s literature too. The workshops and shows stimulate creativity at any age — as demonstrated by the unrequested bread-mould monologue.

Who was Gianni Rodari? Gianni Rodari was an Italian writer, journalist and educator, born in Omegna in 1920. He is considered one of the greatest children’s literature authors of the twentieth century. Among his most celebrated works: The Adventures of Cipollino, Telephone Tales, The Grammar of Fantasy and Baron Lamberto was there twice. In 1970 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Prize, the highest international recognition in children’s literature.

How far is the Rodari Fantasy Park from Lake Orta? The Rodari Fantasy Park is in Omegna, approximately 15–20 minutes by car from Orta San Giulio and from Miasino. It is easily reachable as a day trip from any accommodation on Lake Orta.