- Airports
- Prato
- The geographical position
- History of Prato
- The holy girdle
- The textile tradition
- Museums
The town offers an impressive artistic and historic itinerary from the
Middle Age to the Avant-garde. In the old town centre The castle of the
Emperor, the only evidence of Swabian architecture in
central northern Italy, the Cathedral, Palazzo Pretorio,
The Basilica of St. Maria delle Carceti,
The Churches of St. Francesco and St. Domenico, keep
the works of great artists as Agnolo Gaddi, Paolo Uccello, Filippo and Filippino Lippi, Donatello (theCathedral’s marvelous external
pulpit was created by Donatello) and other famous
artists of the 13th century and of the Renaissance. . The
Museum of Cloth www.museodeltessuto.it
Centre of Contemporary Art "Luigi Pecci"
www.centropecci.it
The geographical central position close to Tuscan major art cities, fast
and frequent highway and railway connections, comfortable and easily accessible
hotels make Prato the right place to start your journey across Tuscany. From
the green mountains of the Bisenzio Valley to the large plane surrounded by the
gentle hills of Montalbano lies a Province strongly attached to its culture
where history, art and nature blend harmoniously.
Start your journey discovering A Province, Seven Municipalities, each one
with a story of its own to tell you.
The Province of Prato departs from the silent woodlands of the Bisenzio
Valley, on the border between Toscana and Emilia Romagna, down to a densely
populated plane surrounded by the Montalbano gentle hills.
Prato is composed of seven municipalities, each one with a story of its own
to tell you. Cantagallo, Carmignano, Montemurlo, Poggio a Caiano, Vaiano and
Vernio.
Whether you are in Tuscany for business or pleasure, Prato may prove to be
the right choice for your stay.
Its geographically strategic location is one apparent reason: located just
a few kilometers from Florence, it is well-served by two highways (A1 Milan-Naples
and A11 Florence-Sea). It’s the ideal place from which to organize visits (both
by car or train) to Tuscany’s artistic cities. It’s also a great home-base from
where to plan food and wine-tasting excursions to the near-by villages and hill
towns of the Chianti region.
Prato is also a great alternative place to stay if Florence is your final
destination, both for its logistic convenience and money-saving potential,
particularly during Florentine fashion fairs and other organized events. The
train connections from Prato to Florence are simply excellent. With a train
departing every twenty minutes and reasonable ticket prices, the train service
can almost be considered an above-ground subway system.
Prato will surprise you with its high level of efficiency, expected of an
“industrial city,” but it will especially win you over because of its pleasant
livability, typical of a Tuscan town with a medieval heart.
The origins
The story of the city in fact begins
in the 6th century AC, with
the invasion of the Lombards,
who established themselves in the Valley of the Bisenzio
and in the Montemurlo area, even
if it seems
almost sure that the area had already been inhabited
in the Palaeolithic period,
and afterwards by Ligurians, Etruscans (7th-5th centuries B.C.) and then by the Romans
as various findings respectively bear witness in the area of Galceti,
the archaeological area around
Artimino and the ancient name
of "Pagus Cornius"given to these
places.
The free Commune
In the second half of the
11th century two distinct groups of inhabitants united to form the town: Borgo al Cornio, situated in the area of what is now the cathedral
square, where the ancient church of S. Stefano probably already existed, and the nearby castle of Pratum belonging to the Count Alberti, which gave the name to the town.
The people of Prato gave themselves an autonomous
form of government, the Commune, entrusted to Consuls and Podestas elected for six months.
Between
the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century, two subsequent
walls were built in defence around the city which had become important for
the commerce of wool. During the same period Prato experienced fierce battles between Guelphs and Ghibellines and suffered the difficult and
intrusive vicinity of Florence
which also determined their political institutional life.
In the 14th century there was famine
and epidemics, and Prato suffered
a radical demographic loss. Following this period of
unrest, the wealthy families that survived
the 1348 epidemic were able to rebuild
their palaces.
A very dramatic event was the 1512 pillage by the Spanish troops who had come to
restore the deposed Medici Seigniory and was to serve as
a warning to the city of Florence.
The modern city
In 1653 with the institution
of the Diocese, Prato was given the title of city, while, until then,
it had been
called "terra"(land).
If during the 16th and 17th centuries
Prato saw a relatively stagnant period, already in the 1700s, with the economic policy of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, ruled by the Lorena family encouraging Prato's textile activity, the basis of a modern city started to appear.
The already outdated
Corporations were abolished, and the Chamber of Commerce was founded.
During the
first 10 years of the 19th century,
the industrial mechanisation
had begun and during the second half of the century, the typical production of recycled
wool from textile waste developed.
These products sold all over the world lying the foundations which allowed the city to achieve its
present leadership in this sector.
Our Lady's Holy Girdle
In the tradition dating back to the 4th century which carries the first
news of a holy girdle that circled the womb of the Mother of God as preserved
in Byzantium.
The term "the Mother of God"instead of the words "Our
Lady"(Mea Domina, My lady), better expresses the theme of the cosmic
motherhood which flows from the impact of God's archetype with the realities
connected to the "creation of matter"from seemingly nothing: the
female womb and, in identity with this, the earth.
Other archetypes including that of profound darkness, warmth and dampness,
are added to these in a vision usually associated with the agricultural world,
however, also connected with the previous phase linked with hunting and the
harvest.
Broadly speaking the archetype of the "feminine divine"expresses
a series of feelings which can be defined as love, protection, and
understanding for the life which she carries within her womb and which is to be
born to perpetuate life itself.
A particular aspect of the feminine divine, that came about in the early
Middle Ages, following the big economic and social upheavals accompaning the
traumatic urban revolution, created a need for a more charitable, merciful and
briefly "maternal"religiousness. This is expressed in the numerous
representations of Our Ladies with Child.
Datini, as a merchant who used his wealth for social purposes, founded
"la Casa dei Ceppi"also known as "Ceppo de' Poveri"(the
Pious House of Logs or the Poor People's Log). From the beginning he had set
his institution under the protection of Our Lady. ("Madonna del
Ceppo"(the Lady of the Log) painted by Filippo Lippi).
The cult of Mary can be seen as an interpretative filter of the entire
civic history of the city of Prato with the Madonna del Ceppo as the expression
of the moment of the support. The Lady of the Girdle is instead an expression
of independence and autonomy but also of defence.
The Madonna delle Carceri (Our Lady of Prisons), lastly, is an expression
of the crisis that by now had gripped the city.
From this point of view the Girdle is something more of a relic around
which the devotion of the people of Prato is gathered. It is the Palladium of
the city. The attempted theft of the Girdle by Musciattino as well as other
legendary attempts by people from Pistoia can be seen as similar to that
perpetration of Troy by Ulysses and Ajax with the Palladium (the sacred image
of Pallas Athena), but with the difference that in such a case the theft was
successful as the city lost its divine protection and was defeated.
The Girdle, besides being a symbol
for the textile industry and the connection between weaving and agriculture in
the city as found in ancient times and the female divinities full of mercy and
love, is also the symbol of a circle that protects and binds. In the Middle
Ages its importance increased due to the fact that the most important objects
were hung to the girdle: the key, the purse, but also the sword.
When a knight was ordered he was given a banner with his Coat of Arms and
the military cingulum, which consisted of a girdle with a suspended sword.
Having the Girdle as Palladium of the city was important as it affirmed that
Prato was independent from any master and was a devoted servant or Our Lady.
13th century
The manufacturing of clothes developed in the city and in the
14th century
Francesco di Marco Datini
greatly boosted the
15th century
Because of the commercial development begun by Datini,
and the establishment of an expertise in the manufacturing of cloth,
16th century
The "Sacco"(Sack) of 1512, a
terrible pillage made by Spanish militias, gave a hard blow to the economy of
17th century
In spite of a growth in production techniques, especially in dyeing,
this was a period of recession for wool manufacturers.
18th century
The economic policy of the Granducato
of Tuscany, which was then under the rule of the Lorena family, helped to
improve the textile industry. The Chamber of Commerce which superseded the
outdated Guilds was established. By the end of the century the first important
wool factory was founded by Giovacchino Mazzoni, which produced red caps destined to Middle-Eastern
markets. In 1788 the Grand Duchy established a special money prize for the
number of caps sold. This was the first incentive in favour of
19th century
A learned mechanical technician, Giovan
Battista Mazzoni, improved spinning machines and
designed projects. Also thanks to his work, Prato
starts feeling the positive effects of industrial revolution, which reach the
top when, by the middle of this century, a process of regeneration cuttings
taken from tailors' workshops and using knitwear and other garments comes into
use. This material which comes from different parts of the world,
is carefully selected and transformed in a special kind of wool, which takes
the adjective of "regenerated". This wool enables the production of
cheap carded cloths, often mixed with virgin wool. These products are sold all
over the world and
20th century
From the Sixties, we can see a substantial renewal in machines and
technologies and the use of regenerated raw-materials turns to materials of
superior quality, coming directly from the garment industry.
At the same time, in the textile district of Prato
an important production diversification towards high quality items, using
valuable fibres (virgin wools, cashemere, silk,
linen, cotton, viscose, microfibres, etc.) comes into
use. Also in the area of knitwear
For many years,
Museo del tessuto - Via
Santa Chiara 24 - 59100 Prato -
Tel. (+39) 0574 611503 - info@museodeltessuto.it
There are many masterpieces
to discover in the City
and
Let's go!
The Etruscan Archeological Museum Civic Museum (
Alberti's
Luigi Pecci (
Museum of Planetary
Civic Museum (
Town Hall and Picture Gallery
Alberti's Palace Gallery
Galceti Natural Sciences Centre
Museum of Planetary Sciencies
PERETOLA FLORENCE AIRPORT
Switchboard: +39.055.3061300
Lost & Found Office: +39.055.3061302
Company Secretary: +39.055.30615
Website: www.aeroporto.firenze.it/EN/index.php
Florence Airport ("Aeroporto di Firenze") or Amerigo Vespucci
Airport (Airport Code - IATA: FLR, ICAO: LIRQ) is an airport located close to
Florence, Italy. It is one of two main airports in the Tuscany region, the
other being Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa.
There are train and bus links between this airport and Florence, and the
train line provides shuttle runs between the airport and the final station
which is Florence city terminal. Tickets are available in the airport and must
be validated prior to boarding the train (by inserting the ticket into the
small stamping machines on the terminal), otherwise an on the spot fine is
reliably served.
PISA INTERNATIONAL Airport
Toll-free number: 800 018849
Flight Information: +39 050 849300
Tourist Information Desk: +39 050 503700.
Left Luggage Service: +39.050 849300
Website:www.pisa-airport.com
Galileo Galilei International Airport (Airport Code - IATA: PSA, ICAO:
LIRP) is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is one of the two main airports
in Tuscany, together with Peretola Airport in Florence. It is named after
Galileo Galilei, a famous scientist and native of Pisa.
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