Diversi e diversità nella fiaba. La figura del 'minore' dalle fiabe popolari alla fiaba d'autore

The contribution intends to focus on the representation of diversity and disability in fairy tales. As far back as antiquity, the constitution of small communities led to the creation of concepts of ‘normality’ and ‘diversity’, establishing a dichotomy that has come down to the present day through infinite declinations even in the artistic and literary spheres. Children’s literature is no different, which has seen, already at a germinal level in the popular fairy tale, the proliferation of works that, to a greater or lesser extent, have represented this dichotomy. The available documentation is so abundant that only some of the most significant tales by authors such as Perrault, the Grimm brothers and Calvino in which there are characters with physical or mental disabilities have been analysed. Through the analysis of these pages, the folk tale allows children and adults to learn about diversity and disabilities and reflect on the topic of social inclusion.