Tourism: Cathedral and Girdle, Swabian castle, Textile Museum, Pecci Centre
The Cathedral with Donatello's pulpit and frescoes by Lippi and Paolo Uccello, the Emperor's Castle (the only example of Swabian architecture in north-central Italy, free entry), the Textile Museum in a former factory and the Pecci Centre for contemporary art. On 8 September, the Girdle ostension and the historical parade.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
- Cathedral of Santo Stefano: a Romanesque-Gothic church with frescoes by Paolo Uccello, Filippo Lippi and Agnolo Gaddi and the outdoor pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo from which the Holy Girdle is shown.
- Emperor's Castle: built between 1237 and 1248 for Frederick II of Swabia, designed by Riccardo da Lentini; the municipality's portal calls it the only example of Swabian architecture in north-central Italy. Free entry, closed on Tuesdays; in summer it hosts concerts and open-air cinema.
- Palazzo Pretorio: the civic museum on the town square, with works by Filippo and Filippino Lippi.
- Textile Museum: founded in 1974 at the Buzzi technical institute, since 2003 in the former Campolmi factory; about 6,000 pieces from the early Christian era to today, including the archive of contemporary fabrics.
- Luigi Pecci Centre for Contemporary Art: founded in 1988, reopened on 16 October 2016 with Maurice Nio's extension; the first Italian institution built specifically for contemporary art.
- Piazza San Marco: Henry Moore's Square Form with Cut, the city's first major art acquisition and the starting point of the urban art trail.
When
The most heartfelt day is 8 September, with the solemn ostension of the Holy Girdle and the Corteggio Storico; other ostensions take place at Christmas, Easter, on 1 May and on 15 August. Prato is linked to Florence by rail and can be visited in a day.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-13
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