Prato

in front of the Palazzo Pretorio Prato ( ; ) is a city and comune (municipality) in the region of Tuscany in Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the northeast of Tuscany, at an elevation of , at the foot of Monte Retaia (the last peak in the Calvana chain). The distance between Prato and Florence is approximately 15–17 kilometers (about 9–10 miles). With a population of 198,327 as of 2026, Prato is Tuscany's 2nd-largest city after Florence, and the 18th-largest in Italy. Historically, Prato's economy has been based on the textile industry which has continued in recent years leading to it becoming Italy's fast fashion manufacturing hub. The city's textile district, the largest in Europe, is home to about 5000 fashion companies which are largely small, Chinese-run subcontractors engaging in illegal activity known as the "Prato system" run by Chinese organized crime. The left wing Partito Democratico (PD) has been implicated in the crimes with the PD mayor Ilaria Bugetti resigning after the opening of a corruption investigation against her in July 2025.…

]] ]] ]] in front of the Palazzo Pretorio]] ]] Prato ( ; ) is a city and comune (municipality) in the region of Tuscany in Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the northeast of Tuscany, at an elevation of , at the foot of Monte Retaia (the last peak in the Calvana chain). The distance between Prato and Florence is approximately 15–17 kilometers (about 9–10 miles). With a population of 198,327 as of 2026, Prato is Tuscany's 2nd-largest city after Florence, and the 18th-largest in Italy. Historically, Prato's economy has been based on the textile industry which has continued in recent years leading to it becoming Italy's fast fashion manufacturing hub. The city's textile district, the largest in Europe, is home to about 5000 fashion companies which are largely small, Chinese-run subcontractors engaging in illegal activity known as the "Prato system" run by Chinese organized crime. The left wing Partito Democratico (PD) has been implicated in the crimes with the PD mayor Ilaria Bugetti resigning after the opening of a corruption investigation against her in July 2025. The city boasts important historical and artistic attractions, with a cultural span that started with the Etruscans and then expanded in the Middle Ages and reached its peak with the Renaissance, when artists such as Donatello, Filippo Lippi and Botticelli left their testimonies in the city. The renowned Datini archives are a significant collection of late medieval documents concerning economic and trade history, produced between 1363 and 1410. Cantucci, a type of biscotti invented in Prato during the Middle Ages, are still produced by local traditional bakers. ==Climate== Prato has a humid subtropical climate which has sunny hot summers and cool damp winters. July is the driest month of the year. ==Demographics== As of 2026, the population is 198,327, of which 49.5% are male, and 50.5% are female. Minors make up 14.6% of the population, and seniors make up 22.7%. ==Government== ==Culture== ===Typical cuisine=== di Prato]] The typical Pratese cuisine, as in general that of the whole Tuscany, uses "poor" products and ingredients, mainly from the territory. The bread, called bozza pratese, is definitely the basic element of the kitchen. In Prato, as in Florence it is customary to use bread to prepare croutons with the livers, panzanella and pappa al pomodoro. Piatti tipici Cantucci Bruttiboni Sedani ripieni alla pratese Mortadella di Prato Ribollita Torta mantovana Pesche di Prato Vermouth di Prato Zuccherini Bozza pratese ===Music collections=== == Sights== Prato is home to many museums and other cultural monuments, including the Filippo Lippi frescoes in the Cathedral of Santo Stefano, recently restored. The cathedral has an external pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo, built and still used for the display of the cathedral's famous relic of the Virgin Mary, the Girdle of Thomas (Sacra Cintola, a cord belt), which had a great reputation in the late Middle Ages and is often shown in Florentine art. Also of interest is the Teatro Metastasio, the city's main venue for operas and other theatrical productions, which was built in 1829–30. ===Palazzi and castles in the historical center=== ]] Palazzo Pretorio: The palace was begun in the 13th century in red bricks; late-Gothic style additions were in white stone. The external staircase and clock were added in the 16th century and later. Palazzo Datini: Built from 1383 for the merchant Francesco Datini. It was decorated by Florentine artists like Agnolo Gaddi and Niccolò Gerini. In 1409 it housed Pope Alexander V and Louis of Anjou. Palazzo degli Alberti: (13th Century), housing a museum with works by Filippo Lippi (Madonna del Ceppo), Giovanni Bellini (Crucifix with Jew Cemetery) and Caravaggio (The Crowning with Thorns). Castello dell'Imperatore: Located in the city center, this is the northernmost castle built by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in Italy. ===Main museums=== Palazzo Pretorio: It was the old city hall located town center, standing in front of the current Palazzo Comunale. It now accommodates the Civic Museum of Prato, which was reopened in September 2013. Prato Cathedral Museum: It was founded in 1967¹ in a few rooms of the Bishop's residence and in 1976 grew to include items from both the Cathedral of Saint Stephen and the diocesan territory. ]] Centro per l'arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci: Devoted to the contemporary arts of the last three decades. The complex composes the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Centre of Information and Documentation, including the visual arts, and an education department. Prato textile museum: The museum and library is an Anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Galleria di Palazzo degli Alberti: Home to the art gallery of the local bank (former Cassa di Risparmio di Prato). Works of the collection include The Crowning with Thorns, by Caravaggio ( ). Museo della Deportazione: Dedicated to the memory of the victims of Nazi concentration and extermination camps. === Buses=== Consorzio Autotrasporti Pratese, also known CAP Autolinee, was a Società consortile a responsabilità limitata (Scarl) that operated since 2005 the local public transport in Prato and in the province and partly in that of Pistoia and Florence. The sole partner is Cap Cooperativa, whose members are also workers who cover the positions of travelling driving personnel. CAP Autolinee was part of ONE Scarl the consortium holder of the two-year (2018–2019) contract for the management of the TPL throughout the Region. Since 1 November 2021, the public local transport is managed by Autolinee Toscane. ==Sport== Rugby Club I Cavalieri Prato A.C. Prato ==Notable people== , self-portrait. Detail from The Dispute with Simon Magus (1481–1482). Fresco. Brancacci Chapel, Florence.]] Nicolò Albertini, 13th-century cardinal Lorenzo Bartolini, sculptor Sem Benelli, writer Roberto Benigni, actor and director Francesca Bertini, actress Gaetano Bresci, anarchist and assassin of King Umberto I Antonio Brunelli, composer Clara Calamai, actress Ferdinando Castagnoli, archaeologist Jury Chechi, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist Compagnetto da Prato, medieval poet Enrico Coveri, fashion designer and entrepreneur Lorenzo Dalla Porta, motorcycle racer Francesco Datini, 14th-century merchant Alessandro Diamanti, soccer player Emilia Goggi, opera singer Filippino Lippi, 15th-century painter Fiorenzo Magni, cyclist Curzio Malaparte, writer Filippo Mazzei, politician Armando Meoni, writer Giovanni Nesi, pianist Francesco Nuti, actor Iva Pacetti, lyric singer(soprano) Gianni Pedrizzetti, engineer and professor Biagio Pesciolini, composer Rachele Risaliti, Miss Italia 2016 Paolo Rossi, soccer player Christian Vieri, soccer player Pamela Villoresi, actress Domenico Zipoli, composer Danilo Zanna, chef ==International relations== ===Twin towns – sister cities=== Prato is twinned with: Albemarle County, U.S., since 1977 Bir Lehlou, Western Sahara, since 1985 Changzhou, China, since 1987 Ebensee am Traunsee, Austria, since 1987 Nam Định, Vietnam, since 1975 Roubaix, France, since 1981 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1997 Wangen im Allgäu, Germany, since 1988 ==References== ==Bibliography== ==External links== Official tourism website Prato - Visit Tuscany Prato - Official Italian Tourism Website Prato on Encyclopædia Britannica

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