Prato

Prato is a city in the Italian region of Tuscany. It has 187 159 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) and is the capital of the Province of Prato.

  • 5.1 Textile Industry
  • 6.1 born in Prato personalities
  • 6.2 See also

Location and data

Prato is situated 20 km north- west of Florence on the river Bisenzio. By western municipality also runs the river Ombrone Pistoiese.

Borders the following municipalities: Agliana ( PT), Calenzano ( FI), Campi Bisenzio ( FI), Carmignano, Montemurlo, Poggio a Caiano, Quarrata (PT) and Vaiano.

The districts ( Frazioni ) are divided into five administrative units ( Circoscrizioni ):

  • Circoscrizione Nord ( North ): Cerreto, Chiesa Nuova, Coiano, Figline di Prato, Galcetello, Galceti, Gli Abatoni, I Ciliani, Le Fornaci, Le Lastre, Le Sacca, San Martino, Santa Lucia, Villa Fiorita
  • Circoscrizione Sud (South): Cafaggio, Casale, Castelnuovo, Campo Argentino, Fontanelle, Grignano, Il Ferro, Iolo, Le Badie, Le Caserane, Le Colombaie, Le Fonti, Paperino, Ponte alle Vanne, Popolino, Purgatorio, San Giorgio a Colonica, San Giusto, Santa Maria a Colonica, Sant'Andrea, Tavola, Tobbiana
  • Circoscrizione Est (East): Canneto, Carteano, Cavagliano, Filettole, Gonfienti, Il Cantiere, I Lecci, Il Palco, La Castellina, La macine, La Pietà, La Querce, Mezzana, Pizzidimonte, Ponzano, Sacra Famiglia, Santa Cristina a PIMONTE, Santa Gonda
  • Circoscrizione Ovest (West): Borgo Nuovo, Capezzana, Galciana, Il Calice, Il Guado, La Dogaia, Le Pantanelle, Maliseti, Mazzone, Narnali, San Paolo, Sant'Ippolito, Vergaio, Viaccia
  • Circoscrizione Centro ( Centre): Il Pino, Il Soccorso, Reggiana

History

Prato was probably already inhabited by the Etruscans. However, it is first mentioned in the 10th century and developed into a major wool Emporium. The most famous long-distance traders and wool producer in the late Middle Ages is Francesco Datini, who left in 1410, the largest merchant Archive of the Middle Ages.

The " rags center of Europe ", an important area of ​​immigration for Italians from the south, grew since the mid 19th century a thriving industrial city ( 160,000 inhabitants) approach with a focus on the production of material.

The historic center remained in its medieval walls in the form of an irregular hexagon preserved and shows how rich the city was already at that time: the palaces and churches as well as in its form for Northern and Central Italy unique castle.

Almost the entire historic center has been for many years the pedestrian zone. It turns Prato also a shopping destination, especially for fashionable textiles.

Since the late 1950s, the city has experienced significant immigration, firstly from Southern Italy, then from other countries. Worth mentioning is a large Chinese community living in Prato since the late 1980s.

Attractions

Many buildings, especially those that were built in the Middle Ages, characterized by the use of characteristic local building materials. Mainly two different colored marbles were applied in that even with Florentine buildings were used in a similar form. It is to the white and the green alberese Serpentino from Monteferrato.

Churches

  • The Cathedral of Prato, dedicated to St. Stephen, is that of the Diocese of Prato cathedral and minor basilica since 1996. Inside there is the cycle of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Stephen and St. John the Baptist 1452-1457 by Filippo Lippi.
  • The church of Santa Maria delle Carceri is also a minor basilica (since 1939).
  • Santa Maria del Giglio
  • Santa Maria della Pietà
  • Santa Maria del Soccorso
  • Santa Cristina a PIMONTE
  • Sant'Agostino
  • San Domenico
  • San Francesco
  • San Fabiano
  • San Niccolò
  • Spirito Santo
  • Santi Caterina de ' Ricci e Vincenzo Ferrer is minor since 1947 a Basilica.

Palaces and villas

  • Praetorian Palace
  • Palazzo Comunale
  • Palazzo Datini
  • Collegio Cicognini
  • Palazzo Vai
  • Palazzo Banci Buonamici
  • Palazzo degli Alberti
  • Villa Il Palco

Other places of interest

  • Castello dell'Imperatore
  • Well-known attraction is the Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano.

Twinning

Prato is twinned with

  • Vietnam Nam Dinh in Vietnam since 1975
  • United States Albemarle County, Virginia, USA, since 1977
  • France Roubaix Nord, France, since 1981
  • China People's Republic of Changzhou in the People's Republic of China, since 1987
  • Austria Ebensee in Upper Austria, Austria, since 1987
  • Germany Wangen in Allgäu, Baden -Wuerttemberg, Germany, since 1988
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo in Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1997
  • Western Sahara Bir Lehlu in the Democratic Arab Republic of Sahara, since 1999

Economy

From a population of 200,000, 50,000 Chinese, are not counted tens of thousands of illegal Chinese who left Prato third largest city in central Italy grow. 5000 Chinese companies are reported. In a commercial application, the residence of the owner is not checked. Enrico Rossi, the president of the Tuscany region wants to end slavery, and says that " nowhere in central and northern Italy, and perhaps nowhere in Europe is more black work " In the city, a Chinatown has formed. By Money Transfer shall be paid daily to 1.5 million euros to China.

Textile industry

Many Italian fabric factories went bankrupt in global competition and now rent out their workshops to one of the Chinese to the 3,700 companies that have a reputation for being quick to produce. Many of China's workers live on false ceilings were drafted in the workshops. The workers are paid according to quantities and earn up to 18 hours of work a day up to 4,000 euros a month. On December 1, 2013 7 Chinese died as " Teresa Moda ", one of the many textile factories in the industrial area Macrolotto in the south of Prato, burned and the conditions brought in the headlines.

Personalities

Born in Prato personalities

  • Niccolò Alberti ( 1250-1321 to ), Cardinal of the Catholic Church
  • Francesco Datini (around 1335-1410 ), long-distance traders, banker, wool producer and speculator
  • Filippino Lippi ( 1457-1504 to ), painter
  • Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726), Baroque composer, organist, Jesuit and missionary
  • Cesare Ciardi (1818-1877), flutist and composer
  • Gaetano Bresci (1869-1901), assassin
  • Sem Benelli (1877-1949), playwright
  • Gaetano Corsani (1893-1962), Professor
  • Curzio Malaparte (1898-1957), writer and journalist
  • Clara Calamai (1909-1998), film actress
  • Piero De Bernardi (1926-2010), Writer
  • Roberto Castellani (1926-2004), a concentration camp survivor
  • Simone Scatizzi (1931-2010), theologian and Roman Catholic bishop
  • Mario Bertini ( born 1944 ), football player
  • Paolo Rossi ( born 1956 ), football player
  • Jury Chechi (* 1969), Turner
  • Lorenzo Branchetti (* 1981), actor and entertainer
  • Alessandro Diamanti ( b. 1983 ), football player
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