Bumps, elongating noses, and abnormal skull bones: pseudo-neuroanatomy and Lombrosian Echoes in Collodi's Pinocchio

: The bicentenary of Carlo Collodi (1826-1890)'s birth offers an opportunity to reconsider how Pinocchio (1881-1883) reflects nineteenth-century ideas about brain morphology, physiognomy, and criminal anthropology. Focusing on the donkey-metamorphosis episode and its reference to an invented cranial structure, the analysis shows how Collodi engages with contemporary claims, associated in particular with Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) and Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909), that behavioural traits could be inferred from cranial anatomy. The discussion also considers the physiognomic motif of the elongating nose, linked to the tradition of Johann Caspar Lavater (1741-1801), and the broader cultural presence of phrenological language in Italy, including early attestations such as Giovanni Rajberti (1805-1861). By situating Pinocchio within these scientific and pseudo-scientific debates, the article highlights its relevance to the historical development of neurological thought.