Boscofuso world

Ramofondo is not just a village. It is like a nest grown among the roots of Boscofuso, where dreams walk barefoot and branches clasp one another like friendly hands. The houses do not have stone walls, but woven walls made of salciarancia and orticaluna, with curved roofs of intertwined leaves and scented flowers that change colour with the mood of the sky. The windows are round openings, like curious eyes always ready to look out at the world. At the centre lies the Great Circle, a perfectly circular clearing where tree trunks bend down to listen and stones warm in the sun like cushions made for stories. Every path leading to Ramofondo is different: one is made entirely of heart-shaped leaves, another plays at every step like a natural xylophone, and another changes its route every day, for those who love getting lost and finding their way again. At night, Ramofondo glows with luccilume, small luminous spheres floating in the air like whispering lanterns. The Stranimali chase them laughing, while the grown-ups sit beneath the intreccipini — pine trees with spiral-shaped crowns — and tell one another their dreams. Above every roof is a leaf as large as an embrace, with an intertwined circle at its centre: it is the symbol of the village. A sign that here, even though everyone is different, everyone is part of the same design.

There is a place in Boscofuso that does not allow itself to be found easily. It appears only when the sky turns turquoise-lilac and the wind whispers ancient songs. It is hidden among the folds of Monte Misto, a mountain that changes shape every day: sometimes it has three peaks, sometimes only one, and sometimes it seems to disappear completely. The Emerald Cave is set into the mountain’s most hidden side like a jewel in a crown. Its entrance is wrapped in glowing vines that shine even in the dark, and mosses that laugh softly when touched. Inside, it is never dark. A soft blue light pulses from walls of living crystal. The floor looks like glass, yet feels warm as a feather. From the stalactites fall drops that sound like music boxes, while butterflies made of pollen and dreams dance in the air. This is where Serpiglio was born. This is where, even today, the first spark of every Stranimale is kindled.

Cactusetta is a thorny, sturdy and rather peculiar plant that grows in rare clusters along the sunniest edges of Boscofuso’s paths. It has a squat, rounded body covered in glossy spines arranged in spirals. But what makes it truly unique are the tiny violet flowers nestled among the thorns like precious stones. These flowers have a special trait: they open only when they hear a joke. Not just any sound, and not a melody — an actual joke, a laugh, something playful. When they open, they release a sweet fragrance and sparkle for a few seconds. The children of Boscofuso often gather in a circle to tell jokes to the plant, which answers with little amused creaks. Some Cactusette even seem to develop their own tastes: some prefer dry jokes, others wordplay, while others giggle only at the funny stories of the Stranimali.

The Rosolivo stands alone in a small circular clearing, like an ancient silent guardian. Its thin, flexible branches are entirely silver, but not rigid: they move gently in the wind like threads of liquid silk. Its leaves resemble petals, very pale pink in colour, and as they fall they release an intense scent of wild rose capable of calming anyone who breathes it in. Some leaves shine with their own light, while others dissolve at the touch, leaving behind a fragrant trail. The trunk is twisted like that of an ancient olive tree, but flecked with silver and veined with pink. It is said that the Rosolivo “listens”, and that anyone who whispers among its roots receives, in a dream, answers to difficult questions. The light around it is always like twilight, filled with honey-coloured reflections. It is often surrounded by small silent animals, as if they were paying it reverence.

The Fungopino is an extraordinary hybrid tree, born from the fusion of an ancient Scots pine and a giant woodland mushroom. Its shape is unmistakable: it has the tall, straight trunk of a pine, but is topped by an enormous mushroom cap, broad and soft, which changes colour depending on the humidity in the air.

Its bark, mottled with shades of brown and violet, gives off a scent of resin and damp moss. Bioluminescent filaments hang from the cap and glow at night like tiny natural lanterns. Some of them make sounds like little bells when brushed by the wind.

The ground around the Fungopino is fertile, covered with colourful moulds and small translucent shoots. The Stranimali often gather at its base to rest beneath its cool shade.

The Clearing of Intertwined Branches is one of the most welcoming places in Boscofuso. The trees surrounding it grow very close together, and their branches stretch towards one another until they intertwine and embrace, forming natural arches, little alcoves and shady shelters. Among the roots and beneath the canopies there is room for every animal that needs to stop, rest or feel safe. When the wind blows, the branches move together as though the trees were holding one another even more tightly. For this reason, the Clearing of Intertwined Branches is considered a place of protection and friendship, where no one ever feels truly alone.

Mirror Lake lies hidden among mossy hills and silent trees that lean towards the water as if looking at themselves. Its surface is perfectly smooth, like liquid glass, and reflects not what is… but what could be. Anyone who looks into the lake does not see only their own reflection, but a version of themselves fused with another real or imaginary creature: a child might see themselves with dragonfly wings, an owl with the tail of a fish, or a lioness with the eyes of a fawn. It is a place of possibilities, where identity and desire blend together. At night, the lake shines with its own light, as if stars were resting on its bottom. Around it grow rare plants called lucelene, which give off soft glows like slow-burning flames. The silence is hushed, almost sacred. This is where important questions are asked. This is where one dreams of who one might become.

In Boscofuso there grows a fruit that cannot be found anywhere else. It is called the salciarancia. It grows on truly unusual trees, with a sturdy trunk like an orange tree and long, slender, flexible branches like those of a willow. For this reason, salciarance appear almost everywhere: some grow low down, within easy reach of a paw, while others hang so high that they seem suspended in the sky. Their flesh is sweet and fragrant, with a fresh note reminiscent of the forest after rain. When ripening season arrives and the trees fill with colourful fruit, everyone in Ramofondo knows that one of the most eagerly awaited traditions of the year is about to begin. It is time to make salciarancia jam.

The Mixed Leaves Path is a wonderfully colourful avenue that crosses Boscofuso like a long living ribbon. The trees along it grow leaves unlike any others: each seems to have been born from the fusion of two different leaves, with curious shapes, points, curves and intertwined veins. Whenever someone walks along the path, the leaves slowly change colour as they pass, turning green, yellow, orange, red and violet. With every step, the landscape seems to transform, as if the forest itself wanted to accompany travellers on their way. It is one of the most cheerful and surprising places in Boscofuso, where even a simple walk can become a little adventure.