Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo is the historic heart of Prato, shaped by the cathedral of Santo Stefano and surrounded by buildings from different periods. Since the fourteenth century, the square has hosted celebrations, markets and public games, including the ostension of the Sacra Cintola.

Why it matters

The square occupies the site of Borgo al Cornio, the early settlement from which Prato developed. A village, probably of Lombard origin, and a parish church dedicated to Santo Stefano stood here by the ninth century. As the church grew into the cathedral, the open space became a civic and religious gathering place.

What to notice

The cathedral’s present facade, built between 1385 and 1457, combines pale alberese and green serpentine stone. Andrea della Robbia’s glazed terracotta lunette of the Madonna and Child with Saints Stephen and Lawrence dates to 1489. From the cathedral projects Donatello and Michelozzo’s outdoor pulpit, used to display the Sacra Cintola; the original reliefs are now preserved in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

Around the square, Palazzo Vestri and the statue of Giuseppe Mazzoni face the cathedral’s long civic history. The Palazzo Vescovile stands beside the Duomo, while Palazzo Dragoni faces it across the square. At the centre, the Fontana del Pescatorello, sculpted by Emanuele Caroni and Ulisse Cambi in 1863, is also known as the Fontana del Papero.

Context and history

The square developed with the cathedral and became the setting for Prato’s ceremonies and markets. The Sacra Cintola is displayed five times a year, with the principal ostension on 8 September, accompanied by the Corteggio Storico. Inside the cathedral, the chapel built to house the relic is decorated with late-fourteenth-century frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi; Filippo Lippi’s fresco cycle in the Cappella Maggiore dates to 1452–1465.