Prato
Prato | |
---|---|
Comune di Prato | |
St. Stephen | |
Saint day | 26 December |
Website | Official website |
Prato (/ˈprɑːtoʊ/ PRAH-toh, Italian: [ˈpraːto] ⓘ) is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the northeast of Tuscany, at an elevation of 65 metres (213 ft), at the foot of Monte Retaia (the last peak in the Calvana chain). With 195,213 inhabitants as of 1 January 2023[update],[2] Prato is Tuscany's second largest city (after Florence) and the third largest in Central Italy (after Rome and Florence).
Historically, Prato's economy has been based on the textile industry and its district is the largest in Europe. The textile district of Prato is made up of about 7000 fashion companies, amounting to around 2 billion euros of city's export.
The city boasts important historical and artistic attractions, with a cultural span that started with the
History
Ancient times
Archaeological findings have proved that Prato's surrounding hills were inhabited since
Middle Ages
In the early
The history of Prato itself begins from the 10th century, when two distinct villages, Borgo al Cornio and Castrum Prati (Prato's Castle), are known. In the following century the two settlements were united under the lords of the castle, the
After a siege in 1107 by the troops of
In 1326, in order to counter the expansionism of the
Prato's history therefore followed that of Florence in the following centuries.
Modern age
In 1512, during the
In 1653 Prato obtained the status of city and became seat of a Catholic diocese. During the 18th century, with the ascent of Lorraine at the head of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the city was embellished and also experienced a significant 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
After the unification of Italy in the 19th century, Prato became a primary industrial centre, especially in the textile sector (Italian historian Emanuele Repetti described it as the "Italian Manchester"), and it population grew up to 50,000 in 1901 and to 180,000 in 2001. The town experienced significant internal immigration. Previously part of the province of Florence, in 1992 Prato became the capital of the eponymous province.
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
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1861 | 32,710 | — |
1871 | 36,923 | +12.9% |
1881 | 38,985 | +5.6% |
1901 | 47,166 | +21.0% |
1911 | 51,707 | +9.6% |
1921 | 55,021 | +6.4% |
1931 | 61,496 | +11.8% |
1936 | 64,362 | +4.7% |
1951 | 77,631 | +20.6% |
1961 | 111,285 | +43.4% |
1971 | 143,232 | +28.7% |
1981 | 160,220 | +11.9% |
1991 | 165,707 | +3.4% |
2001 | 172,499 | +4.1% |
2011 | 185,456 | +7.5% |
2021 | 195,213 | +5.3% |
Source: ISTAT |
Chinese immigration
The city of Prato has the second largest Chinese immigrant population in Italy (after
As of 2009[update], the Italian and Chinese populations did not mix socially. As of that year, there were 30,000 legal Chinese immigrants, and authorities believed there was a similar number of illegal Chinese immigrants.[16][contradictory]
Dialect
The dialect from Prato is very similar to that of Florence, but it has its own peculiarities.[specify] The pronunciation of the city name in the dialect was traditionally [ˈpraː.o] but now [ˈpraːho] or [ˈpraːθo] are more common.
Government
Culture
Corteggio Storico
On 8 September each year, to pay homage to the
The program of the festival is enriched by various performances that are held throughout the day in various points of the historic center, such as, for example, the performance of flag-wavers, shooting with bows, the medieval market with re-enactments of ancient crafts and traditions, musical performances, fireworks.
Palla Grossa
The Game of Palla Grossa is back to be played in Prato Piazza Mercatale in September 2012, after almost thirty years of absence. Four districts compete: the Rossi (Santa Trinita), the Gialli (Santo Stefano), the Azzurri (Santa Maria) and the Verdi (San Marco).
Contemporary festival
The contemporanea festival is an international theater festival that takes place in Prato since 1999. The event takes place at the end of May and presents important artists of the national and international contemporary theater scene.
Typical cuisine
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
Main sights
Prato is home to many museums and other cultural monuments, including the
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 Louis of Anjou.
- Palazzo degli Alberti
- (13th Century), housing a museum with works by 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 churches in the historical center
- Prato Cathedral
- One of the most ancient churches in the city, already in existence in the 10th century. It was built in several successive stages in the Romanesque style. The church contains a number of notable works of art, in particular fine sculpture.
- Santa Maria delle Carceri
- Commissioned by Lorenzo de' Medici to Giuliano da Sangallo in 1484. It is on a Greek cross plan, inspired by Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel. Works lasted for some twenty years. The interior is run by a bichromatic maiolica frieze by Luca della Robbia, also author of four tondos depicting the four Evangelists in the cupola. The external façade is unfinished, only the western part being completed in the 19th century according to Sangallo's design.
- Sant'Agostino
- built from 1440 over an existing edifice from 1271. It has a simple façade with a l'Empoli, Giovanni Bizzelliand others, as well as 14th-century frescoes. The cloister dates to the 16th century.
- San Domenico
- The interior altars house a crucifix of the 14th century and an Annunciation by Matteo Rosselli (1578–1650). The cloister of the adjacent convent was built in 1478–80. An adjacent museum has works of wall frescoes.
- San Francesco
- It houses a funerary monument of Geminiano Inghirami (died 1460), and the frescoes by Niccolò Geriniin the wonderful Cappella Migliorati.
- San Fabiano
- Already existing in 1082. It houses precious traces of a pavement mosaic dating from the 9th–11th centuries. Also notable is the 15th-century bell tower.
- Minor Basilica of Santi Vicenzo e Caterina de' Ricci
- Adjacent to the late-Baroque monastery of San Vicenzo. The church was decorated for the canonization of the Saint Catherine of Ricci, who was associated with the monastery and is buried in the church.
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 1967 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(c. 1604).
- Museo della Deportazione
- Dedicated to the history of Fascism's occurrence and rise to power in Italy.
Sport
- Rugby Club I Cavalieri Prato
- A.C. Prato
Transportation
Train
The city of Prato is crossed by two railway lines: the Viareggio-Florence Railroad and the Bologna-Florence Railways. The first is a regional line that connects it with Florence and western Tuscany, while the second is part of the Milan-Naples ridge and is one of the most important Italian railway lines. Prato is therefore served by some long-distance trains.
There are three railway stations in the city:
- Prato Porta al Serraglio railway station is situated in the historical center of the town and connects to Florence in about 25 minutes by the Viareggio–Florence railway.
- Prato Centrale railway station was opened in 1862 and is the largest station in Prato. It is part of Bologna–Florence railway and Viareggio–Florence railway.
- Prato Borgonuovo Station
Highways
- Motorway A11 (Firenze-Mare): Prato is served by A11 motorway through two toll stations: Prato Est and Prato Ovest.
- Motorway A1 (Milano-Napoli): Prato is served by A1 motorway through one toll station: Calenzano.
Buses
Consorzio Autotrasporti Pratese, also known CAP Autolinee, was a
Since 1 November 2021 the public local transport is managed by Autolinee Toscane.[18]
Education
The main points of reference are the University Campus of Prato (a branch of the Università degli Studi di Firenze)[19] and the Prato Research Foundation which also includes the Istituto Geofisico Toscano, in addition to the creation of a Research Center financed by local authorities and the Chamber of Commerce.
Italian Universities
From the early nineties the city is home to an important university center with over 2000 registered students, called "University Campus of Prato", born from the collaboration between the
Foreign Universities
- Monash University, Australia has an office in Palazzo Vai that opened in September 2001.[20]
- University of New Haven, US opened a satellite campus in the fall of 2012.[21]
- Beacon College, US began a Prato study abroad program the fall of 2017.[22]
High schools
- Cosimo Bellini Institutes
- Conservatory of San Niccolò
- Cicognini, State National Boarding School
- Liceo Scientifico / Linguistico Statale "Carlo Livi"
- Liceo Scientifico / Linguistico Statale "Niccolò Copernico"
- Liceo Artistico Statale "Umberto Brunelleschi"
- "F. Cicognini" Classical High School
- Liceo Socio Psycho-pedagogical and Social Sciences "Gianni Rodari"
- State Institute of Higher Education "A. Gramsci – J.M. Keynes"
- Tullio Buzzi State Technical Industrial Institute
- Paolo Dagomari State Technical Commercial Institute
- Istituto Tecnico Agrario e Professionale Alberghiero di Stato "Francesco Datini"
- State Professional Institute for Industry and Crafts
People
- Nicolò Albertini, 13th-century cardinal
- Lorenzo Bartolini, sculptor
- Sem Benelli, writer
- Roberto Benigni, actor and director
- Francesca Bertini, actress
- 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
- Ignazio Fresu, sculptor
- Emilia Goggi, opera singer
- Filippino Lippi, 15th-century painter
- Fiorenzo Magni, cyclist
- Curzio Malaparte, writer
- Filippo Mazzei, politician
- Giovanni Nesi, pianist
- Francesco Nuti, actor
- Iva Pacetti, lyric singer(soprano)
- Gianni Pedrizzetti, engineer and professor
- Rachele Risaliti, Miss Italia 2016
- Paolo Rossi, soccer player
- Christian Vieri, soccer player
- Pamela Villoresi, actress
- Domenico Zipoli, composer
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
- Albemarle County, U.S., since 1977
- Bir Lehlou, Western Sahara, since 1985
- Changzhou, China, since 1987
- Ebensee am Traunsee, Austria, since 1987
- Nam Dinh, Vietnam, since 1975
- Roubaix, France, since 1981
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1997
- Wangen im Allgäu, Germany, since 1988
See also
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Popolazione residente al 1° gennaio : Tutti i comuni". Istat. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Distretto Tessile". Città di Prato (in Italian).
- ^ "THE DATINI's ARCHIVE". Fondazione Istituto Internazionale di Storia Economica F. Datini. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ Crocetti, Adri Barr (4 July 2012). "Philip Mazzei and the Declaration of Independence". Adri Barr Crocetti. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ "Prato in cifre: gli stranieri residenti a Prato – suddivisione per cittadinanza" (in Italian). Comune.prato.it. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ^ "Bilancio demografico stranieri residenti a Prato - Prato conta". Comune di Prato (in Italian). Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Stranieri a Prato, sono il 23% dei residenti: crescono la comunità cinese e quella pakistana". TV Prato (in Italian). 9 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Notizie, informazioni della regione Toscana". Intoscana.it. Retrieved 5 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ISSN 0765-0752.
- ^ a b Dinmore, Guy (8 February 2010). "Tuscan town turns against Chinese migrants". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "View from Italy: The People’s Republic of Prato" article by Anna Blundy in Prospect Magazine 14 March 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2018
- ^ "Ufficio Statistiche e prezzi – Imprese straniere – Imprese per nazionalità forma giuridica e settore" (in Italian). Po.camcom.it. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ^ "Chinese Remake the ‘Made in Italy’ Fashion Label" article by Rachel Donadio in The New York Times 12 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010
- ^ The Rupp Report: Chinese "Made In Italy" article by Jürg Rupp in "Textile World", 10 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2014
- ^ Spolar, Christine (2 January 2009). "Chinese immigrants transform Italy's fashion industry". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
- ^ "Prato". CAP Autolinee. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Guida al primo giorno di servizio". Autolinee Toscane. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Il Polo Universitario "Città di Prato"". Poloprato.unifi.it. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ^ "Prato".
- ^ "About the Tuscany Campus". University of New Haven. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ "Beacon in Tuscany". Beacon College. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "I gemellaggi della città di Prato" (in Italian). Prato. Retrieved 21 March 2022.