48 Hours in Prato, Italy

A Weekend Guide to Prato

I was kindly invited by SeeCity for 3 days to Prato last month. I was able to explore all the best this little-known city has to offer.

Prato is first known as the textile centre of Italy. King of fabric production, this town is surrounded by factories. However, this is only on the outskirts of town. Once you’re in the town centre, you’ll find a beautiful Duomo as well as large piazzas and delicious food.

Prato is first known as the textile centre of Italy. King of fabric production, this town is surrounded by factories. However, this is only on the outskirts of town. Once you’re in the town centre, you’ll find a beautiful Duomo as well as large piazzas and delicious food.

After visiting this city, I honestly felt that I could live here. It’s twenty minutes from Florence. It’s quiet but everyone is still dressed incredibly chic. There’s more than one wine bar to choose from and some impressive museums. What is not to like?

If you’re visiting Tuscany, you can easily spend 48 hours in and around Prato. But before thinking about what to do, you must make sure that you have accommodation in place. I’ve heard from my friends that sopranovillas are supposed to be very helpful and they also offer some great villas to live in during your stay. Anyway, after all that has been sorted, here’s a list of what I would do.

Firstly: Pick up a free English map of Prato for Young Travellers at the Tourist office or in many shops.

Cultural Prato

There are many museums in Prato not to mention impressive architecture. If you’re spending 48 hours in Prato, in addition to checking out the Duomo (cathedral) I would suggest visiting these 2 museums.

Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea (Centro Pecci)

The Centro Pecci has just been re-opened after a majour remodelling. It’s a refreshingly modern museum especially after you’ve had your fix of middle age and Renaissance art in Florence.

The theme of the current exhibition is The End of the World. Even if you’re not into modern art I would suggest visiting this museum. There’s something for everyone as long as you keep an open mind. Lots of interactive exhibits.

277 Viale della Repubblica
Tues-Sun 11am-11pm closed on Monday.
Entrance: 10 euros

Museo del Tissuto (Prato Textile Museum)

This museum is surprisingly fascinating. You’ll find examples of intricate historical clothing, modern designs as well as the process of textile making. I particularly enjoyed learning about all the many things you can use to make cloth. Even bugs! They’re examples you can touch of the various finished products of cloth made from different materials. In the centre of the Italian textile industry, this is worth a visit.

3 Via Puccetti
Tues-Thurs 10am-3pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm
Sun 3pm-7pm, closed Mondays.
Entrance: 8 euros

Gastronomic Prato

There are many restaurants in Prato that offer delicious food. How much food can you eat in 48 hours in Prato? Check out my article about the Gastronomic Specialities of Prato to find out my recommendations as well as the local traditional cuisine of Prato.

A Day in Wine Country

I would suggest heading south of the city, at least for an afternoon, to the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. Here you can visit a Medici villa, gawk at the splendour of rows upon rows of olive groves, and taste hearty wines.

At the tourist office of Prato they’re happy to help you with making appointments at local vineyards. They will also provide you with plenty of maps of the region. I would suggest visiting the tiny villages of Artimino and Carmignano. Normally, I only comment on restaurants that I really enjoyed. I hate to give bad reviews. In this case, I must warn you.

In Artimino, there’s a beautifully decorated restaurant called Bottega Peruzzi. We had high hopes and were keenly disappointed. If you’d like to eat here, order the cold cut platters or the steak. Otherwise, the delicious local wine is consoling.

Other than Wine Tasting Visit:

Probably best to do before you wine taste…

Museo Archeologico Etrusco di Artimino
Etruscan Archeological Museum of Artimino
Opening times vary depending on time of year.

Museo della Vite e del Vino
Wine Museum of Carmignano
Opening times depend on time of year.

Shopping

You’ll notice that for a small city, Prato has many high-quality boutiques. This may be an Italian thing… However, the textile industry’s presence here has certainly made available locally produced classy clothing. You may find yourself salivating at the mannequins they are so well dressed (especially the men’s clothing). The tourism board has a list of boutique and factory outlet shops. If you’re simply looking for a souvenir I would suggest buying a beautiful recycled material scarf made in Prato. You can find them in various stores as well as in textile museum boutique.

I hope this helps for your 48 hours in Prato. This city is certainly an undiscovered gem.