churches
Duomo of Prato: leaving the Piazza of Comune and leaving along the Corso Mazzoni you reach the large Piazza del Duomo, where stands the Cathedral of Santo Stefano. A splendid example of Romanesque - Gothic Tuscan, the Cathedral is characterized by clever use of two colors on alberese clear and serpentine green marble from Prato, typical materials of town until 1400. On the right side of the front is the famous pulpit, built between 1433 and 1438 by Michelozzo and decorated by Donatello, the pulipito was designed specifically for the Exposition of the Holy Girdle of the Virgin Mary, preserved in the chapel inside the Basilica.Splendidi and precious are the frescoes by Filippo Lippi in the Cappella Maggiore, the famous dance of Salome. Adjacent to the cathedral is the Bishop's Palace XIV-XVII century, part of which is occupied by the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
In the territory of Prato, probably since the eighth century, there was a reorganization of the Church with the division into districts that were owned by new churches, the churches from plebs, the people, namely the community of the baptized, with the baptismal font. The churches listed below are those that were already in medieval churches and are included in the diocese of Prato:
San Giusto in Piazzanese (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
San Lorenzo a Usella (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
San Michele a Montecuccoli (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
San Pietro a Figline (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
San Pietro a Iolo (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
San Vito e San Modesto a Sofignano (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
Santa Maria a Colonica (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
Santa Maria a Filettole (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
Sant'Ippolito e San Cassiano (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
Sant'Ippolito in Piazzanese (http://www.diocesiprato.i...)
Prato was long known as "City of the Virgin" for the strong Marian devotion that, initially linked to the veneration of the Sacred Belt, then grew with the construction of shrines dedicated to Our Lady three parishes are today, these are is recently added one dedicated to St. Anthony Mary Pucci.
