Things to Do and See in Prato

In the historic center of the provincial capital, the most notable landmarks are the Emperor’s Castle—a unique example of Swabian architecture in central and northern Italy—and the Cathedral, which houses the venerated relic of the Sacred Belt of the Virgin Mary and frescoes by Filippo Lippi. Of great interest is the Textile Museum, which chronicles the city’s textile history and houses fabric samples and documents dating from the 5th century to the present day, as well as artifacts and machinery from the old wool-processing industry. Also noteworthy are the “Luigi Pecci” Center for Contemporary Art “Luigi Pecci,” which houses an important permanent collection comprising works by leading artists of the past 30 years, and the Museum and Documentation Center on Deportation and the Resistance in Figline, a memorial site dedicated to remembering the events that took place in Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Elsewhere in the province, highlights include the Etruscan necropolis and artifacts at Comeana and Artimino; the recent excavations at Gonfienti; the Romanesque churches scattered throughout the Carmignano area, such as the Church of San Michele and Francesco in Carmignano, which houses Pontormo’s “Visitation”; the ancient abbeys in the Bisenzio Valley; the medieval villages; the splendid Medici Villas in Poggio a Caiano and Artimino; and the Quinto Martini Park Museum in Seano.