Lawn - Prato

Meadow
Panorama of Prato from the Cupolin degli Ori
StateItaly
RegionTuscany
Altitude61 m a.s.l.
Surface97.59 km² km²
Inhabitants187.159 (census 31-12-2012)
Name inhabitantsPrato
Prefix tel 39 0574
POSTAL CODE59100
Time zone UTC 1
Position
Map of Italy
Reddot.svg
Meadow
Tourism site
Institutional website
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Disambiguation - For toponyms of identical name, see Prato (disambiguation).

Meadow is a city of Tuscany, capital of the province of the same name since 1992.

To know

The city is famous in Italy and around the world for textile production and the famous biscuit with almonds, of the Biscottificio Mattei, better known as "corner".

In recent decades, Prato has been the protagonist of a notable demographic boom and migratory increase. In fact it is currently the second city of the Tuscany, the third of central Italy (after Rome is Florence) and the eighteenth in Italy for number of inhabitants.

Prato and its province are located in the heart of the Tuscany, ideal location to reach the other famous art cities of the region. The city and its territory offer interesting and prestigious artistic, naturalistic and gastronomic itineraries.

For the tourist, spending the holidays in Prato means taking a dip in the past, with an eye towards the future: a journey that goes from the Etruscans to contemporary art, with particular value to medieval and Renaissance works.

Geographical notes

It is located on the slopes of mount of the Retaia, and the highest peak in the municipality of Prato is that of mount Cantagrilli. The river that crosses Prato is the Bisenzio, a tributary of the Arno.

When to go

Winters are cold and dry with average temperatures ranging from -5 ° C to 13 ° C. Summers are sultry and hot with maximum temperatures around 35 ° C. The greatest rainfall occurs in autumn.

The best time to visit the city is in spring: from mid-April to the end of June.

Background

Ancient history, Etruscans and Romans

Some findings testify that the hilly area surrounding Prato was already inhabited since the Paleolithic. The Prato plain was subsequently inhabited by the Etruscans, as evidenced by the recent archaeological finds in the area, intended to rewrite the history of these places. In fact, numerous Etruscan ruins remain, including those of the city of Swollen.

Subsequently the plain was inhabited by the Romans (the Via Cassia passed through it, in the stretch that connected Florence with Pistoia, on the road to Luni). The territory where Prato stands today, however, was intended for the extended centuriation between Agliana and Badia a Settimo and probably not for urban settlements, although traces of that era have occasionally been found in the Prato area.

The middle Ages

In the early Middle Ages the plain saw the degradation of the water regimentation structures built with the Roman centuriation, and some parts of it, presumably in the southern area, became swampy. The Prato area was affected by the presence of the Byzantines and subsequently occupied by the Lombards whose presence is documented above all in the hilly and foothills areas.

After the siege of 1107 by the troops of Matilde di Canossa, the Alberti counts withdrew to their castles in the Val di Bisenzio and the town began to establish itself as a free municipality. It was certainly one of the very first Italian municipalities to give itself a Statute, drawn up already in the mid-thirteenth century. For two centuries Prato experienced a strong urban expansion (almost 15,000 inhabitants were reached), due to the flourishing wool industry and the strong devotion to a relic that has just arrived: the Sacra Cintola. The urbanization is evidenced by the need to build two new circles of walls, one around the middle of the 12th century and the other starting from 1300. In 1326, to escape the expansionist aims of Florence and to its own internal struggles between the more possessing families for administrative control, the city submitted to the Lordship of Robert of Anjou, king of Naples. On 23 February 1351 Giovanna d'Angiò sold the city to Florence for 17,500 gold florins, and the latter city remained tied to the present day.

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

Despite the loss of freedom, Prato continued to develop in the following centuries, following the fate of Florence, first under the Medici dynasty, then with the Florentine Republic from 1494. Because of this, the army of the Holy League (created between Pope Julius II and the Spaniards) conquered and devastated Prato on 29 August 1512. This looting (known as Sacco di Prato and also mentioned by Machiavelli in the famous Prince) caused the decline that lasted for about two centuries.

In 1653 Prato finally obtained the much coveted status of city and diocese.

The eighteenth century

In the eighteenth century, with the ascent of the Lorraine to the leadership of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the city was embellished and also experienced a notable cultural development, which was promoted by the Grand Dukes themselves. The intellectual foresight of Prato and its land in this century finds its maximum expression in the words of Filippo Mazzei, a friend of Thomas Jefferson, which today are reported in the second paragraph of the Constitution of the United States of America: All men are created equal.

Modern and Contemporary History

In the nineteenth century Prato experienced a notable industrial renaissance, especially in the textile sector, being called "the Manchester of Tuscany. "After the unification of Italy, a very strong industrialization continued and demographic growth began, which began to bring the city out of the circle of the fourteenth-century walls and led it, during the twentieth century, to gradually incorporate the surrounding villages.

Between September 1943 and March 1944 the city was subjected to violent bombings aimed at destroying the industrial apparatus and the railway junction. In the same period, partisan formations began to form on the Apennine reliefs near the city. In the following weeks a roundup of the fascists started the deportation to Germany of 360 workers and only 20 of them will return alive. In September 1944 partisans of the Buricchi Brigade are captured and hanged in Figline.

In the sixties and seventies there was a consistent immigration coming from all the southern regions which caused the population to double.

Since the nineties, the city has been the destination of a new and very consistent migratory wave, this time from non-EU countries and in particular from China. The Chinese community in Prato is in fact the third in Europe, after London is Paris.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

  • Northern district: Cerreto, Chiesanuova, Coiano, Figline di Prato, Galcetello, Galceti, The Abatoni, The Ciliani, The Fornaci, The Lastre, The Sacca, San Martino, Santa Lucia, Villa Fiorita.
  • Southern District: Cafaggio, Casale, Castelnuovo, Campostino, Fontanelle, Grignano, Il Ferro, Iolo, Le Badie, Le Caserane, Le Colombaie, Le Fonti, Donald Duck, Ponte alle Vanne, Popolino, Purgatorio, San Giorgio a Colonica, San Giusto, Santa Maria a Farmhouse, Sant'Andrea, Tavola, Tobbiana.
  • Eastern District: Canneto, Carteano, Cavagliano, Fillets, Puffers, The Yard, I Lecci, The Stage, La Castellina, La Macine, La Pietà, La Querce, Mezzana, Pizzidimonte, Ponzano, Holy Family, Santa Cristina a Pimonte, Santa Gonda.
  • West district: Borgonuovo, Capezzana, Galciana, The Chalice, The Ford, The Dogaia, The Pantanelle, Maliseti, Mazzone, Narnali, San Paolo, Sant'Ippolito, Vergaio, Viaccia.
  • Central District: Il Pino, Il Soccorso, Reggiana.

How to get

By plane

In the province of Meadow there are no civilian airports. The closest airports to Meadow are: the Tuscan regional airport Galileo Galilei of Pisa and theAmerigo Vespucci of Florence.

From Pisa

The train station is located at the airport Pisa Airport, which is directly connected with: the station of Florence Santa Maria Novella and with the station of Central Pisa (on the line Pisa - Lucca - Pistoia - Florence).

The airport is very close to the motorway exit "Pisa North". From the toll booth of Pisa North you need to take the highway A11 and continue in the direction Florence. The toll booth "West Meadow" is about 65 km from Pisa, while the toll booth of "East Prato" it is approximately 73 km away.

From Florence

The airport Amerigo Vespucci of Florence is located in the locality Peretola and is the closest to the province of Prato.

The airport is not directly connected to the railway line. You can reach the stations of Florence Santa Maria Novella is Florence Rifredi using the bus.

Get to Meadow by car from the Florentine airport is very simple: the airport is located at the exit of the motorway A11 "Florence North", which is only 5 km from the exit of "East Prato" and 13 km from the exit of "West Meadow".

There is a bus service between the airport and Meadow (Prato Centrale station) managed by the Lazzi and CAP bus lines (Links in detail).

By car

From Tuscany From the rest ofItaly
  • From Florence: PATH: about 15.3 km - 17 minutes.
  • From Arezzo: PATH: approximately 96.7 km - 1 hour 5 minutes.
  • From Carrara: PATH: about 108 km - 1 hour 11 minutes.
  • From Grosseto: PATH: approximately 233 km - 2 hours 27 minutes.
  • From Mass: PATH: about 100 km - 1 hour 6 minutes.
  • From Livorno: PATH: approximately 98.6 km - 1 hour 5 minutes.
  • From Lucca: PATH: approximately 57.2 km - 39 minutes.
  • From Pisa: PATH: approximately 80.5 km - 59 minutes.
  • From Pistoia: PATH: about 16.4 km - 25 minutes ".
  • From Siena: PATH: approximately 84.8 km - 1 hour 12 minutes.
  • From Milan: PATH: 293 km - 2 hours 52 minutes.
  • From Bologna: PATH: 108 km - about 1 hour 14 minutes.
  • From Rome: PATH: 304 km - about 2 hours 51 minutes.
  • From Bari: PATH: 721 km - 6 hours 36 minutes.
  • From Naples: PATH: 494 km - approximately 4 hours 27 minutes.

On the train

  • Prato Centrale railway station. Large railway yard serving the city of Prato. It is located on the lines Florence-Bologna is Florence-Meadow-Pistoia-Lucca-Viareggio. There are also two other stations in the city, Prato Porta al Serraglio and the new Prato Borgonuovo station. 
  • Prato Porta al Serraglio station. Railway stop of the Maria Antonia railway. By importance, it is the second station in the city of Prato after that of Prato Centrale. Among the three stations in the city it is the closest to the historic center, being only a five minute walk from Piazza del Duomo. 
  • Prato Borgonuovo station. Small railway station located on the outskirts of the city of Prato inaugurated on 11 December 2005. It is the most recent in the city. It is located on the line Florence-Meadow-Pistoia-Lucca-Viareggio, has two passing tracks and two small shelters. On the first track the convoys pass for Pistoia, Lucca is Viareggio. While on the second track the convoys to Prato Centrale and Florence Santa Maria Novella. Only regional trains stop. 


How to get around

By public transport

TO Meadow there are five frequent bus lines that connect: the historic center, the railway station of Prato, the suburbs and the neighboring municipalities. Service LAM (High Mobility Lines) is managed by Cooperative Autolinee Pratesi (CAP): Bus timetables is Bus ticket sales points and information.

By taxi

In Prato there are several taxi stops: Piazza Duomo, Central Station, Pratilia, piazzale Falcone and Borsellino, via Cavour, via Corridoni and via Paronese (Schedule: 24-hour service for all destinations). In particular:

By car

For those who travel by car it may be useful to have in mind where to leave the car:


What see

Churches

  • 1 Cathedral of Prato. Leaving Town Hall Square and traveling the Corso Mazzoni you reach the wide Piazza del Duomo, where the Cathedral Basilica of St. Stephen. Splendid example of Tuscan Romanesque - Gothic, the Duomo it is characterized by the skilful use of the two-tone given by the clear alberese and the serpentine, the green marble of Prato, typical materials of the city architecture up to 1400. On the right side of the facade is the famous Pulpit, built between 1433 and 1438 by Michelozzo and decorated by Donatello; the pulipito was designed specifically for the Exhibition of Sacred Girdle of the Madonna, preserved in the homonymous chapel located inside the Basilica. The frescoes of Filippo Lippi in the Main Chapel, with the famous Salomè dance. Adjacent to the Duomo is the Episcopal Palace (14th-17th centuries), a part of which is occupied by the Museum of the Opera del Duomo. Prato Cathedral on Wikipedia cathedral of Prato (Q1236622) on Wikidata 

Pievi

In the Prato area, probably from the eighth century, there was an ecclesiastical reorganization with the subdivision into districts that were headed by new churches, the Pievi (from plebs, people, i.e. the community of the baptized), equipped with a baptismal font.

The churches listed below are those that were parish churches already in the medieval period and are included in the current diocesan territory of Prato:

Parish churches

In Prato, the current parish churches of the diocese are about seventy-five and spread over the entire territory.

Monasteries and Convents

The monasteries and convents of the Prato diocese are almost all of medieval foundation, they were originally monasteries, convents, abbeys or hospitals, and played this role for centuries. Only a few retain their original function today (most of them have become seats of parishes, institutes, brotherhoods, villas or secular buildings), despite having maintained a structure that is still well recognizable.

Shrines

Prato was for a long time defined "City of the Virgin" for the strong Marian cult which, initially linked to the veneration of the Sacred Girdle, it has also grown with the construction of four sanctuaries dedicated to the Madonna (three are now parishes); to these has recently been added the one dedicated to Saint Anthony Maria Pucci.

Museums

Monuments and places of interest

The walls of Prato
Piazza San Marco
  • Fourteenth-century walls. Almost all the main historical buildings are gathered within these. The hexagonal circuit of the walls encloses the original urban core of Prato, dotted with ancient tower-houses. 
  • Piazza San Marco. Here we find one of the many contemporary works of art that the city hosts. There Square shape with cut of the famous contemporary sculptor Henry Moore. 


Statue of Francesco Datini (Antonio Garella)
Castle of the Emperor
Fontana del Bacchino (Ferdinando Tacca)
  • Castle of the Emperor. Also known as Fortress of S.Barbara or Swabian Castle, can be considered the most important architectural testimony of the XI-XIII centuries. 
  • Town Hall Square. Built at the end of the thirteenth century, at the intersection of the two main roads of the city. In the central area of ​​the square is the Fountain of the Bacchino which was made in bronze between 1659 and 1665 from Ferdinando Tacca, on the occasion of the recognition of the rank of city of Prato. In front of the Town Hall (located in the square) there is also the statue in white Carrara marble dedicated to the merchant of Prato, Francesco Datini, of Antonio Garella (1896). 


Piazza del Comune and Town Hall
  • Town Hall. It is located in Prato in Piazza del Comune, facing it Palazzo Pretorio. It was built, as the seat of the priors, by connecting different buildings. It is currently based there on city ​​Hall. In the hall of the Municipal Council there are two frescoes of the fourteenth century, representing one Allegory of Justice it's a Majesty (i.e. a Madonna enthroned with Child). Inside the palace are preserved various portraits of the Podestà of Prato and of the Tuscan Grand Dukes. 


Palazzo Pretorio
Datini Palace
  • Palazzo Pretorio. The ancient municipal building of Prato, located in Piazza del Comune in front of the current one Town Hall. Since 1912 it has housed the civic Museum. 
  • Datini Palace. It was the home of the famous merchant Francesco di Marco Datini (Prato 1335-1410). He leaves an important testimony of himself, made up of accounting records and correspondence, which constitute a substantial fund, today, deposited with theState Archives di Prato, which is based in that ancient house. 


Events and parties

Piazza Duomo, the historic parade
  • 8 September - Historical Parade. The ancient and famous Prato Fair has its climax on 8 September, Feast of the Madonna, to remember a tradition that has its roots in the Middle Ages. A civil and religious holiday, the demonstrations for 8 September resist the difficulties of the moment and the transformations over time. The Fiera and the September of Prato are the testimony of an identity to which the city remains faithful, despite its continuous renewal. On 8 September, groups in costume cross the streets of the city center to reach Piazza Duomo, where secular and religious values ​​meet, symbolically represented by the three keys (two owned by the Municipality and one by the Diocese). The keys open and close the casket of the Sacred Girdle, the relic whose Exposition has closed the celebrations for 8 September for centuries. A ritual that maintains its symbolic charge unchanged and is repeated to witness the unity of the Prato community. 


What to do


Shopping


How to have fun

Shows

Cinema

Theaters

Night clubs


Where to eat

Moderate prices

Average prices

High prices


Where stay

Moderate prices

Average prices

High prices


Safety


How to keep in touch

Internet

  • Web Agency - Webpoint Prato, via F. Mazzei, 23 (La Querce), ☎ 39 055 753975, fax: 39 011 6940283, @. 
  • Internet Point Net Piu Di Bisori L., Viale della Repubblica, 284, ☎ 39 0574 596764. 
  • Internet Point - New Net, Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 61, ☎ 39 0574 29335. 
  • Internet Point - New Net - Di Pirozzoli Marco, Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 61, ☎ 39 0574 27213. 
  • Internetional Services Point By Todorova Boyka Nikolaeva E C. Sas Money Transfer, Via S. Vincenzo, 15, ☎ 39 0574 484080. 
  • Kewu Point By Wu Kewu, Via Tozzini Valeria, 9, ☎ 39 0574 730412. 
  • Internet Point New Net, Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 61, ☎ 39 0574 29335. 
  • New Toscana Call Center & Internet Point By Ali Azmat, Via Dell'Arco, 4 / A, ☎ 39 0574 440423. 


Around

Within the province of the same name there are the following municipalities:

Itineraries


Other projects

  • Collaborate on WikipediaWikipedia contains an entry concerning Meadow
  • Collaborate on CommonsCommons contains images or other files on Meadow
  • Collaborate on WikinewsWikinews contains current news on Meadow
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