Today it rained all day but Mrs G and her son Andrew where curious about the city of Prato so they went there for the day. It is about 20 minutes from Florence.
As soon they arrived in this Medieval City they saw the Castello Dell’ Imperatore ( above) . They got the umbrella out and off went looking for the tourist information centre that when they found it … It was closed. They found the Cathedral and decided to visit while waiting for the rain pass… The rain did not stop!
Here are the pictures

<img These paintings the Madonna and the Child by Fillipo Lippi, he painted his beloved Lucrezia and his son Filippino.

“Of Roman origin, Prato was razed to the ground during the Greek Gothic war (6th century) and was reconstructed under Lungobard dominion. It proclaimed itself a free commune in the 12th century, prospering above all thanks to its flowering textile activity, which didn’t end despite local conflicts and attacks from the nearby cities. The frequent wars of the 14th century led to the construction of the walls, which are still preserved today. Changing events led to Prato’s submission to the power of the Angioni. Subsequently the city passed under the tutelage of Florence (14th century), nonetheless maintaining a certain autonomy. In 1653 it held the title of city and of diocese. The history of the city of Prato is full of diversity”.