“Pro e contro la fiaba” Fifty Years Later: Is Gianni Rodari's Apologia Still Relevant Today?

The fairy tale has a special role in forming Gianni Rodari's mind-set and writing. Fairy tales, with their ability to overturn social and cultural customs, models of behavior, and hierarchies of class and species were an inexhaustible driving mechanism for the creativity of this Italian children's writer. He also drew much inspiration from fairy tales for his educational works on the subject of childhood and imagination. The aim of this contribution is to reflect on the value that Rodari attributed to the fairy tale within an educational setting aimed at young generations, a vital mediator between adult culture and childhood culture.