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Prato is a capital city of same province in the Tuscany, Italy. It has an area of 365 km², and a total population of 228,000 inhabitants. Named after the field in which the first big market was held, Prato is the second largest city in Tuscany. It became the capital of a province 1992 thus obtaining its autonomy from nearby Florence to whom it had previously had to defer.

Prato is known from wool weaving, which has played an important role in the financial and social development of the entire district since the Middle Ages.

The most significant event in the industrial development of Prato took place, during the second half of the 19th Century when the process of regenerating wool out of used pieces of cloth became possible, the famous "cenci" (rags) which were compressed into bales. As a result of this process of regenerating wool, even when mixed with virgin wool, it became possible to produce carded textiles of all types at competitive prices. These new products quickly conquered the world markets and enabled the textile industry in Prato to advance decisively and progressively over the years.

Prato is now considered the most important centre for wool in Europe with 9000 textile companies based there and 45,000 people included in the production of wool, textiles, knits and other fabrics. Industrial production in Prato is subdivided amongst many small and medium sized independent company, each specializing area (spinning, stretching, weaving, dyeing and touching up or finishing off). A hexagonal perimeter wall encloses the historic city centre making it easy to visit the city.

Places to Visit:

• Duomo - stands on the main square, with its two-colored facade and a portico which incorporates a lunette in glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia. Inside in the Choir are frescos by Paolo Uccello and Fillipo Lippi which are considered to be of the highest standard of Renaissance painting. It is also possible to admire the famous Pulpit of the Sacred Girdle designed by Donatello 1438.
• Museo del Tessuto - Textile Museum - located on Piazza del Comnune, which tells the history of textile manufacturing in Prato through a collection of 5000 pieces of cloth, several of which are exquisitely made. Antique spinning wheels together with a teaching laboratory complete the collection.
• Castello dell Imperatore - Emperor’s Castle - 13th Century castle was built by the German Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II during his campaign to conquer Italy. Castle towers provide a special panorama of the city and its vicinity.
• The Luigi Pecci Museum for Contemporary Art - houses a rich, permanent collection which has made it one of the most important centers for contemporary art in Italy today. The museum also provides study facilities and general information.
• Palazzo Datini - house where Francesco Datini lived is now a museum. Its archive contains 140,000 business letters and Datini`s account books, on which Iris Origo based her biography.
• Santa Maria delle Carceri - Prato’s most important church stands on the site of a prison on whose wall an image of the Virgin miraculously appeared in 1484. With its harmoniously proportioned interior, the domed church is a fine work by Renaissance architect Giuliano da Sangallo.

For more information visit:

• Comune Prato
• Provincia Prato