The Museo del Tessuto preserves more than 9,000 objects: textiles dating from the early Christian period to the 20th century. The museum is located in Prato, at the heart of one of Europe’s most important textile districts. It is housed in the restored former Ex Cimatoria Campolmi, a monumental example of industrial archaeology. Here, the history of an extensive collection meets a building with its own industrial past.
Textile History and Art
Other museums offer their own distinct perspectives. The Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci was Italy’s first purpose-built museum institution for 20th- and 21st-century art. The collection at the Museo di Palazzo Pretorio features works by Filippo Lippi, Donatello, Filippino Lippi, Soffici, Yves Klein, Pistoletto and Lipchitz. The building also tells a story of the past: in its oldest brick section, the medieval structure preserves the original layout of a 13th-century tower house. The artworks and architecture offer two distinct ways of exploring history.
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo brings its galleries together in a route around a Romanesque cloister. In the Sala dei Corali e dei Parati, you can see four choir books embellished with delicate miniatures, as well as a valuable collection of liturgical vestments. These were donated to the Pieve di Santo Stefano around 1590. The route reveals both the design of the individual objects and their place within the museum.
Other themes range from planets to more recent history. The Museo Italiano di Scienze Planetarie has 17 interactive multimedia stations. The Museo e Centro di documentazione della Deportazione e Resistenza organises guided tours, film and documentary screenings, workshops exploring historical sources, and educational tours. The activities offer different points of focus: interactive learning, historical sources and guided exploration of history.
Routes and Landscape
The Via della Lana e della Seta connects Prato and Bologna over approximately 130 kilometres. It starts in Piazza Duomo in Prato and follows six stages; the first three pass through Prato, Vaiano and Vernio. Along the route, the path goes through the Bisenzio River Park towards Calvana. There, visitors can see Calvana cattle and free-roaming horses.
Another cycling route is the Ciclovia del Sole. Its Tuscan section is approximately 155 kilometres long and passes through the Riserva Naturale Acquerino Cantagallo, Montemurlo and Prato. As of 17 June 2024, one section was still under construction. Check the latest route information before planning a cycling trip.
The Riserva Naturale Acquerino Cantagallo is a protected nature reserve in the Apennines, covering 1,867 hectares. Its landscape includes beech and chestnut forests, conifer stands, meadows and monumental trees. Deer, fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar, wolves and wildcats live there. Forests, open meadows and wildlife offer a different focus from the museums and collections.
An October Tradition
Regional produce is another discovery in the area. The Antica fiera di Carmignano takes place in Carmignano every year in the first days of October. Dried figs from Carmignano are presented there in traditional wicker baskets. Exact dates and the programme may vary.
Discover more destinations: Poggio A Caiano, Vernio, Prato, Carmignano, Cantagallo, Fornacelle, Vaiano, Artimino, Colle, Montemurlo.
For the overview of the wider region: Tuscany.
