Accommodations in Prato, Italy

PRATO: THE HEART OF CENTRAL ITALY
Roberto Benigni, Christian Vieiri, Paolo Rossi, Filippino Lippi, and Lorenzo Bartolini. Are we rambling? No, because this is not a random string of names of famous Italians, but a list of some of the eminent citizens of Prato. With close to 200,000 inhabitants, Prato is Tuscany’s second largest city and the third largest in Central Italy, after Rome and Florence. Historically, Prato’s economy has depended on the textile industry, and the modern Textile Museum reflects this history. Today, Prato is also a cosmopolitan and fast growing tourist destination, located just 13 km from Florence.

Since the late 1950s, the city has seen a wave of immigrants, first from southern Italy, then other nations. Since the late 1980s in particular, Prato has been home to a significant Chinese community. Prato is also a centre of the Slow Food movement, with many specialties, including cantucci, a type of biscotti, sold by local bakers. Incidentally, for those not in the know, the Slow Food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy to resist the fast food invasion and attempts to preserve the cultural cuisine and associated plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within a region.

So you know that when you come to Prato, you will sample all the local culinary delights that the city can offer at its various restaurants, hotels, farmhouses, and bed and breakfasts. Besides, Prato is also home to numerous museums and cultural monuments, including the Filippo Lippi frescoes in the Cathedral of Santo Stefano, which also has an external pulpit by Donatello. Yet another major attraction is the Centro per l’arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, a museum and education centre concerned with contemporary arts.

Then there is the Palazzo Pretorio, built around the 13th century in red brick. Also notable is the Palazzo Datini, built in the 14th century for the merchant Francesco Datini. The palace has decorations by famous Florentine artists and, in 1409, housed Pope Alexander V and Louis of Anjou. The Palazzo degli Alberti (12th century) is home to an art gallery with works by Filippo Lippi (Prato Madonna), Giovanni Bellini (Crucifix with Jew Cemetery) and Caravaggio (The Crowning with Thorns).

There are several other fascinating churches and palaces that you should see and which we cannot name here owing to lack of space, but do plan ahead for your visit by selecting your accommodation in Prato from our list (www.yourwaytotuscany.com/Prato.htm) of hotels, vacation farmhouses, apartments, bed & breakfasts, and residences in the city and province of Prato. We guarantee you an unforgettable trip!

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