Italy wholesale. Typical dishes and cuisine of Prato. Fine dining restaurants

, Pisa , Siena . It is the second city in Tuscany and the third city in central Italy in terms of population.

The roots of this city are in art and nature, although its economic development he owes textile industry, it is she who forms the basis of most of the province's economy. This story is still relevant today: it was around it that the city of Prato grew, built its wealth, developed hospitality and became unlike other cities.
This area is very diverse. It is able to offer interesting historical and artistic routes, following which you will discover Etruscan treasures, get into Middle Ages and reach modernity.

A trip to the province of Prato will present a sea of ​​real discoveries. No one expects that a province famous all over the world mainly for its textile production, also keeps a chest of such valuable treasures, where tradition tasty food and memories of old times coexist with the dynamism of everything new, modern and young.
The province includes the cities of Cantagallo, Carmignano, Montemurlo, Poggio a Caiano, Vaiano and Vernio.

Prato offers the visitor a large selection of historical and cultural monuments of great importance. Above the historic center of the city rises the Imperial Castle, a unique example of Swabian architecture in north-central Italy. The city's cathedral houses a revered relic - the Sacred Belt of the Virgin Mary; there you can also admire the recently restored magnificent frescoes by Filippo Lippi.
On the facade of the Cathedral you can see chair of the work of Donatello and Michelozzo used to display the Sacred Belt of the Madonna (September 8 - the day of the historic procession).

The tour can be continued in the direction Datini Palace, Praetorian Palace, Basilica of Santa Maria delle Carceri, designed by Giuliano da Sangallo, churches of St. Francis And St. Dominic. These buildings, as well as Mural Museum And Cathedral Museum, houses the works of great masters such as Agnolo Gaddi, Paolo Uccello, Filippo and Filippino Lippi, Donatello, Michelozzo and other famous artists of the XIV century and the Renaissance.

Do not miss Fabric Museum, located in the building of an old factory, where you can get acquainted with the history of the textile industry of the city. This museum contains samples of fabrics and ancient documents from the 5th century to the present day, weaving devices and wool processing machines.
Newly Created Museum of Planetary Sciences, located just outside the city walls, stores numerous samples of meteorite fragments and valuable minerals.

Another local attraction is the famous international level Center for Contemporary Art "Luigi Pecci", which houses an extensive permanent exhibition of works by the most prominent masters of the last thirty years. Outside the walls of the Museum, the city is decorated with works placed in an urban context and accessible to the general public. Such works are located along the walls and on the territory. The most famous of these works is Moore's "slotted square shape" on Piazza San Marco.
Of particular interest are the Museum and Center dedicated to the deportation of the resistance in Figline- place of remembrance concentration camps and the destruction of the Nazis.

The territory of the province is also rich in attractions: Etruscan necropolises and archaeological finds in Comeane And Artimino, as well as recent excavations in Gonfienti on the outskirts of Prato.
Romanesque churches are scattered around Carmignano. Also visit Church of San Michele e Francesco V Carmignano with magnificent fresco "Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth" the work of Pontormo; old abbeys in the Val di Bisenzio; medieval towns; luxurious Medici villas in Poggio a Caiano, where the Still Life Museum, a medieval town Artimino; Quinto Martini Park Museum in Seano; the entire system of reserves (for example, Monteferrato, Calvana, nature reserve Aquerino-Cantagallo).
Worthy of mention is the original museum under open sky Luiciana in Cantagallo, where installations by contemporary artists are presented.

Many regular historical holidays are held here: Taking out the holy belt in Prato it is repeated five times a year (at Christmas, at Easter, May 1, August 15 and at the end of the historic procession on September 8).

Every year on September 25, Carmignano celebrates the city's patron saint, St. Michael or San Michele. At that time main square cities and the entire center are festively decorated for three days, just like during the holiday old fair in the month of December.

Siege of Villa in Poggio a Caiano is held in September. This is an event that recalls the great celebration that in 1565 accompanied the arrival in Tuscany of Joanna of Austria, the bride of Francesco de' Medici.
In the city of Comeana, once every three years, on the evening of Good Thursday, as in most of Italy, a historical and religious reconstruction is held The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ: more than 700 participants participate in a long procession, which is a unique spectacle.

Historic holiday-reenactment in Montemurlo on the last Sunday of June, recreates the famous battle of 1537 between the Florentines, who marched under the command of Baccio Valori And Filippo Strozzi, the owners, respectively, of Villa Barone and Villa Strozzi, and the troops of Cosimo I de' Medici.
In San Ippolito di Vernio, on the first Saturday following Ash Wednesday, a "little carnival" is held during Lenten week. Carnevalino. The main character of this holiday is pasta seasoned with tuna and herring sauce.
Every year, on the first Sunday of Great Lent, Vernio celebrates historical holiday, known as Feast of Polenta, or Pulendin.

Like all Tuscan cuisine, the cuisine of the province of Prato simple. It is based on the habit of the poor to use every edible part of the ingredients without exception and throw away as little as possible.
One of the predominantly local traditional dishes – celery alla pratese. To prepare it, you will need the most tender parts of this vegetable, which is stuffed with chicken liver paste, veal tenderloin, egg yolk and spices; then it's all fried in in large numbers olive oil and placed in a sauce based on meat and tomatoes. The same simple and delicious dishes are: classic pasta with beans; farinata flour stew with black cabbage; potato "tortelli"; rabbit "coniglio rifatto"; bread soup and "ribollita" soup with carrots, black cabbage, beans, stale bread and various spices.
Don't forget about Sausage Mortadella di Prato And Figs from Carmignano.

From local traditional sweets: Biscotti di Prato, Mantovana, Sand, Amaretti di Carmignano, Carmignanini, Zuccherini di Vernio and Sassi della Calvana cookies.

Local extra virgin olive oil best to try in pure form with traditional bread from Prato called "bozza". Wines from the Carmignano area were known and appreciated already in Medici times, among them Pino Nero di Bagnolo.

So we have reached the most important "highlight" of the Prato Cathedral - the Maggiore Chapel. At the same time we will see the next chapel of Manasseh.
painting customer chapel Maggiore performed by Gemignano Ingirami. Wanting to get hometown the best artist, Ingirami, through the mediation of the Florentine archbishop, turned to Fra Angelico. But the already middle-aged master, who was also overwhelmed with orders, refused, and then the eyes of the customer turned to Filippo Lippi. If Fra Angelico had turned out to be younger and freer, Lippi would have remained in the history of painting as an artist of secondary roles. But fate gave Lippi a chance, which he adequately took advantage of. Work on the frescoes of the Maggiore Chapel stretched from 1452 to 1465, and unexpected circumstances arose along the way. Filippo Lippi (a Carmelite monk, by the way) arranged his personal life with the nun of the Prato monastery, Lucrezia Buti, with whom he openly lived outside the monastery walls; the couple had two children. Of course, the 15th century was in the yard, and the morals of the clergy were very lightened, but still there was a scandal. Through the mediation of Cosimo the Elder, they managed to convince Pope Eugene IV to release the couple in love from their eternal vows, after which they were able to get married. Considering the pious subjects of the frescoes, it is now interesting to recall that the author, instead of deserved fame, could have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The subjects of the frescoes were the lives of Saints Stephen (the titular saint, the left wall was given to him) and John the Baptist (a tribute to Florence, the right wall). Photography is not allowed here, so the pictures are taken from Wiki.
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Lippi's most famous fresco in the Prato sobrre is Herod's feast.


Few people notice the severed head of the prophet (look closely to the right), but the dancing Salome (it is alleged that Lippi borrowed her face from his beloved) has spread around the world in a thousand reproductions.

The next transept chapel belonged to the family Manasseh. Local frescoes are attributed to the remaining unknown student of Agnolo Gaddi; the plots are taken from the lives of Saints Joachim and Margarita. Again, the photos are taken from Wiki, I did not find the best ones.
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It is worth at least a few words to say about Chapel of the Belt of the Virgin. It is located in the free part of the cathedral, in the left corner closest to the entrance. But do not rush to rejoice. Due to the great value of the relic for the inhabitants of Prato and because of the legendary attempt to steal this relic, the chapel is closed with a massive lattice. When approaching the grate, the backlight automatically turns on, but it is almost impossible to see the entire cycle of Agnolo Gaddi, dedicated to the earthly life of the Virgin and the history of the Belt. Maybe, on the days when the Belt is shown to the people from the pulpit of Michelozzo, the chapel is opened, but I did not find clear information about this. Both the unworthy author of this story and the photographers Vika managed to see and capture only three frescoes.
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On this, let me put an ellipsis and take a bow. Alas, this essay ends not only short story about Prato, but also a long saga about Tuscany. Tuscany in my personal list of visited regions of Italy is now ranked third after Sicily and Campania in terms of the degree of exploration. Of course, there are a lot of tails left: I have never set foot on the land of the provinces of Piombino, Grosseto, Livorno and Massa Carrara; very close to Florence are the Medici villas in Petraia and Castello, which I have not visited; theoretically understandable, but in practice the paths to the historical monasteries of Vallombrosa, Sant'Antimo and Camaldoli remained unrealized. Nevertheless, soberly assessing the crisis that has befallen us, I state that in the coming years I will not go to Tuscany. While there are opportunities, it is necessary to look at least with one eye into other regions of Italy. And we will start using this peephole from the next time: an epic story about a trip to Emilia-Romagna that promises to become a very long one begins. The author wants you to like it the way he liked it.

Last time, we carefully examined the facade of the Prato Cathedral and glanced in passing at the diocesan museum (where - amazing near- the wonderful bas-reliefs of Donatello and the harmful caretaker coexist). Now let's go inside the cathedral.

As we remember main church(duomo) Prato was built in the XII century, in 1141 it became the place of storage of the girdle of the Virgin, and gained the status of a cathedral only in 1653. Fortunately, the transformation into a cathedral did not become a reason for the restructuring of the building; the interior retained its Gothic features. In plan, the cathedral is an Egyptian cross (we encountered this form more than once in Siena), that is, almost the letter "T": three naves end in a long transept with as many as five apses. During off-duty hours, you have to pay to inspect the transept and apses, and it’s also forbidden to take pictures there, but, unlike the diocesan museum, the caretaker here (a black Italian, by the way) is a kindly well-mannered lady, and therefore the desire to deceive her and still make it forbidden I didn’t get a picture))) In addition, everything has already been stolen before us, it’s perfectly filmed on Wikipedia, so I’ll use other people’s photos in the course of the story (you will only benefit from this). We will move from right to left, in this order we will see the frescoed chapels of Vinaccesi, Assunta, Maggiore, Manassei; the fifth chapel - Ingirami - without frescoes, and we will neglect it.

Vinaccesi Chapel painted in the 19th century by our old acquaintance Alessandro Franchi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Franchi_%28painter%29) - the same author of many intarsias from the story of Elijah on the floor Siena Cathedral(), as well as clouds of frescoes and tri- and polyptychs in Sienese temples. Of course, the academic style of the 19th century cannot be hidden, but Franchi should be given his due: he skillfully imitated Gothic murals, at least in Siena. The frescoes of the Vinaccesi Chapel are dedicated to Old Testament righteous men and prototypes of New Testament events.
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If you don’t like neo-gothic painting of the 19th century, then you can immediately go to the next Assunta Chapel, painted in 1435-1436 by Andrea di Giusto and Paolo Uccello. On one wall, three frescoes remind us of the earthly life of the Mother of God, on the opposite - three frescoes tell of the life of the First Martyr Stephen (the titular saint of the cathedral, if you suddenly forgot). Paolo Uccello owns the top four frescoes, and Andrea di Giusto got the bottom two. On Wikipedia, the frescoes of Andrea di Giusto are honestly photographed, and the creations of Paolo Uccello are clearly taken from the WGA (it is almost impossible to photograph them on the spot), and therefore I ask you not to judge strictly the WGA images - the obvious fruit of numerous scans and rescans.
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The Assunta Chapel was not lucky: it was in the shadow of the neighboring Maggiore Chapel, painted by Filippo Lippi. Actually, visitors to the Prato Cathedral go first of all to Lippi, and everything else is perceived as a burden. In my opinion, the frescoes of Uccello and Giusto deserve no less attention, so don't miss it)))

To be continued.

The previous post about Prato was just a lengthy introduction, but the most interesting will begin now, because we are starting to explore the local cathedral of Santo Stefano, in which, depending on your preference, you can see the belt of the Virgin or the frescoes of Filippo Lippi, the indelible bloody the spot of the sacrilegious or the bas-reliefs of Donatello.

Prato, as we remember, found its bishop only in 1653, and only in that year the main city ​​church became a cathedral. But even before this long-awaited rise, Santo Stefano was a very important church for the Catholic world, since here since 1141 there is a valuable relic - the girdle of the Virgin. What, - you exclaim angrily, - some kind of belt of the Virgin, when everyone in Russia remembers the arrival of the shrine of the same name from Athos and many hours of queues of those who want to kiss it (shrine, not Russia)? So, dear readers, there are several known belts of the Virgin in the world, and one of them is located in Prato.

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We will remember the belt more than once, but for now let's return to the cathedral. It was built in the 12th century, a transept was added a little later (possibly designed by Giovanni Pisano) and the Chapel of the Precious Belt. The facade of the cathedral appeared a little later, in 1386-1457, and is a good example of late Gothic. Just do not laugh, please, in those years Prato was a small town, and its main church was also small.


As you remember, the green stripes of the facade are local green marble (Prato marble), and white is Carrara (it turns out that Carrara is also in Tuscany, but I didn’t get there).

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But everyone comes here not for the Gothic, but for the chair of Michelozzo, decorated with reliefs by Donatello. As you already know, they tried to steal the belt of the Virgin, after which they marked it in a separate barred chapel, where, in turn, it is also hidden behind seven locks (figuratively speaking; there really are several keys held by different people). But several times a year (now it happens on Christmas, Easter, May 1, the Assumption and the Nativity of the Virgin), the belt is removed and shown to the faithful from a special pulpit attached to the cathedral. Take a look at the very first photo in this essay. See the round balcony under the cap on the right corner of the facade? This is the chair of Michelozo and Donatello (1428-1438).

though not as big as some of the other cathedrals in Italy, but just as impressive and beautiful. This is the most old church in a city whose construction began in the 10th century and was completed within a few hundred years. On the front facade of the building with a striped marble design, a large central dial flaunts. The black and white striped design continues inside. In addition, there are many beautiful sculptures and colorful frescoes inside that retell various religious scenes such as the stories of St. John the Baptist.

(Palazzo Pretorio) occupies ancient building on the Piazza di Comuna, which for hundreds of years served as the town hall of Prato. The structure resembles a medieval stone castle and is crowned with battlements and a bell tower. Inside the palace is a museum with constantly changing art exhibitions. Until recently, exhibits by the sculptor Jacques Lipchitz and the Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi were exhibited here.

emperor's castle- a medieval building built specifically for the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The castle was created between 1237 and 1247 and offers fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. In those days, it was perfectly located as a defensive bulwark against invaders. Today the castle is in excellent condition for its considerable age and 6 of its 8 original watchtowers are in excellent condition. The entrance to the castle has a striped design, similar to the Duomo di Prato, and the old well is still preserved in the courtyard.

Prato has a long and glorious history that is closely linked to the textile industry; indeed, this industry served the city as a major source of economy and income for hundreds of years. Today textile museum is a part European route The industrial heritage and has attracted visitors with a series of interesting exhibitions. Inside the museum you can see detailed history the textile industry of Prato, as well as to see a wonderful collection of artifacts, machines and tools that were used in this trade.

Prato has many historical and interesting places, but there are many interesting things in the vicinity of the city. 30 minutes north of Prato is located Lafo di Bilancino. This is a fantastic artificial lake that was once used to avoid flooding. In this charming natural area there are several beaches where you can sunbathe, play ball and swim. In addition, this is just a paradise for nature lovers, here you can see a lot of birds and even turtles.

Mercatale Square is located on the banks of the river Bizenzio Fume, it is big square and one of the central points in the city center of Prato. Historically, this square was the main meeting place for merchants and trading activities and was considered one of the most extensive in Europe. On the right side of the square there is a large oval park with a well-groomed lawn and a number of beautiful trees. In addition, all the surrounding buildings with many arches and colored shutters create a charming atmosphere of the square.

While most museums in Europe depict historical art from centuries past Luigi Pecci Museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art and is great place for visiting. Located south of the historic city center, the museum is housed in a wonderful building that looks like a spaceship! The collections at the museum include works by Saul Lewitt, Jan Fabre and Paolo Seggi.

Front facade of the historic Churches of Chiesa di San Francesco with its striped and rather striking design bears an uncanny resemblance to the Prato Cathedral. Established in 1281-1331, the church has gone through many restorations in its history and today is a fine example of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. religious building. Of particular interest are the detailed and colorful fresco above the front entrance, the Renaissance paintings inside, and the ornate altar lids pierced with gold.

One of the best national parks Italy, Parco dei Laghi di Suviana borders the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna and can be reached from Prato by car in about an hour. This guarded natural area centered around two large reservoirs that were built at the beginning of the 20th century and Lake Suviana. In the park you can find different kinds trees, including oak and chestnut, as well as many wild animals, including deer and wild boars. For those who love nature, Parco dei Laghi offers the perfect opportunity to explore the many hiking and cycling routes. In addition, on Lake Suviana you can do water sports sports and swim.

The settlement of Prato probably arose during the Etruscans, but is mentioned in the chronicles only in the 10th century. During the Middle Ages, Prato becomes an important "woolen empire". In the second half of the 19th century, it became the "proletarian center" of Europe - the point of resettlement of Italians from the south of Italy. During this time, the city became prosperous. industrial center for the production of textiles with a population of approximately 160,000 inhabitants.

Prato is the most commercial and entrepreneurial city in Tuscany. Here, among other things, "double bookkeeping" was invented - by a certain Francesco Datini, one of the richest people of his time (1330-1410).

The historical center has been preserved along with the medieval fortress wall in the shape of an irregular hexagon. The wealth of the city of those times is recognizable by the churches and palaces, as well as by the unique for the northern and middle Italy the form of a fortress. The cathedral houses a cycle of frescoes "Scenes from the life of St. Stephen and John the Baptist" (1452-1457)

IN historical center Prato you can get acquainted with the sights - churches and museums. One of the most beautiful churches main cathedral city, Duomo. Adjoining the cathedral (1211) is the Cathedral of the Holy Belt (1434-1438), a real masterpiece of the early Renaissance, built according to the project of the sculptors of the Florentine school Donatello and Michelozzo.

Inside the cathedral are Fra Filippo Lippi's masterpiece "The Life of John the Baptist" and a series of frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi, which depict the story of the acquisition of the girdle of the Virgin Mary by the city of Prato.

The city museum has a painting by Lippi Madonna del Chenno (XV century). The Renaissance church of Santa Maria in Piazza delle Carceri was designed by the architect Giuliano da Sangallo.

Italy Prato attractions

Shopping in Prato Italy

We offer commercial trips with an AGENT for shopping in PRATO - the industrial zone of Tuscany - for the purchase of CLOTHES, BAGS and LEATHER GOODS, FABRICS AND FABRIC STOCK, THREADS STOCK for merchants. Here, on a vast territory, there are factories for the manufacture of inexpensive clothes. In connection with economic crisis the purchasing center gradually moved to this area. And no wonder, since the prices here are lower, depending on the purchase prices in the warehouses of Bologna. And we can say that many things from Bologna are sewn in Prato, in factories owned by the Chinese. And products made in Italy are considered Made in Italy by law. Historically, this territory used to be considered the largest industrial zone of light industry in Italy. But after the bankruptcy of Italian factories, they were bought by the Chinese. The Chinese sew in the factories, and the Italians work as stylists and accountants.
The territory has a large dispersion of warehouses and factories, and it is completely impossible to walk on foot - this is a whole city! Prato Italy wholesale shopping where merchants from all over the world buy - for their stores, wholesale stores and for online stores. They sell ready-made clothes sewn at the factory, both in small and large wholesale. They also carry out orders according to customer samples from 50-100 units. one article and your brand (the name of your brand or store), but the Made in Italy tag is sewn inside. You choose fabrics yourself, you can contact a representative of a textile Italian factory. The Chinese sew faster and monitor the quality, afraid of losing customers.
Prices here are from 3-25 e.
There are also warehouses of only Chinese origin - this is inexpensive knitwear, accessories, down jackets, etc. Some who travel to China say that the price is lower here. That's why we moved here for shopping! If you are interested, we, as professionals to professionals, will help you!!! Write your questions to us by mail and we will answer, because we discuss the program and the cost of services individually. And we work individually from 1-3 people, we provide our professional support and our car. Commerce now is "a matter without fuss and subtle." I know this well, because we, too, are your colleagues!

WE WORK REMOTELY WITH THE CLIENT. If you have a desire to sort your goods in stores, and it is not possible to come to Italy often, we can make a New purchase of goods via WHATSAPP, SKYPE in close contact with you in the era of communication. From experience, I can say that often, the goods from the Chinese are updated in 2-3 weeks, so it is not always possible to purchase an order by PHOTO (made in advance). IT IS BETTER TO PURCHASE IMMEDIATELY FROM THE FACTORY IN CONTACT WITH YOU.

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