Prato
Prato
Basics
Political Region Tuscany
Province Prato
Area 97Km2
Population
- Total population
- Population density
183,864 (2006)
1,757 inhabitants/Km2
Coordinates 43°52′N, 11°05′E
Website www.comune.prato.it
Prato (Italian: Prato ) is located in eastern Italy and is the capital of the province of Prato in the Tuscany region. It is located in the southwestern foothills of the Apennine Mountains, near the Bisenzio River, and 16 kilometers southeast of Florence. Population 161,000 (1982). It is an important center for woolen textiles, as well as cement, textile machinery and chemical industries. Marble is quarried nearby. There are railroad connections with Florence and Bologna. There is a medieval cathedral with a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. -
The textile industry is well developed in the outskirts of Prato, but the city center still retains very important churches and museums. Prato Cathedral (begun in 1211) is flanked by the Holy Girdle of Sermons, designed by Donatello and Michelozzo. The Sacred Band is said to have been given to Thomas, one of the twelve earliest followers of Jesus, before the Assumption. Inside the church is a life of John the Baptist by Fra Filippo Lippi and frescoes by the painter Agnolo Gadd. Other places of interest include the Museo Civico, the Church of Santa Maria delle Carceri, the Castle of Pope Frederick II, and the Museo del Tessuto, which witnessed the development of textile crafts.