 |  |
TENNIS
BIKE SALE, SERVICE AND RENTALS
INFO, NEWS AND SPECIALS
- MyNav 600 Professional
- Rent a bike in Hotel Toscana
- Open new store in Via Franchi N. 12
INTERESTING WEBSITES
www.abetone.org
www.dovesciare.com
www.neveitalia.it
www.pianetasci.it
PRESS
Gli anni d'oro del ciclismo pratese
Coppini, ventidue vittorie e sessant'anni di ciclismo
Enzo Coppini "Il morino di Prato"
Il morino di Prato era troppo legato alla "Benotto"
| The Story of Prato |
|
Archaeological findings have proved that Prato's surrounding hills were inhabited since Paleolithic times. The plain was later colonized by the Etruscans   In the early Middle Ages the Byzantine and Lombard dominations followed. The history of Prato itself begins from the 10th century, when two distinct villages, Borgo al Cornio and Castrum Prati (Prato's Castle), are known. In the following century the two settlements were united under the lords of the castle, the Alberti family, who received the imperial title of Counts of Prato After a siege in 1107 by the troops of Matilde of Canossa, the Alberti retreated to their family fortresses in the Bisenzio Valley: Prato could therefore develop as a free commune. Within two centuries it reached the number of 15,000 inhabitants, spurred in by the flourishing textile industry and by the presence of the Holy Belt relic. In 1326, in order to counter the expansionism of Florence, Prato submitted voluntarily under the seigniory of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples. In 1512, during the War of the League of Cambrai, the city was sacked by Spanish troops assembled by Pope Julius II and emperor Charles V to recover the nearby city of Florence for the Medici family In 1653 Prato obtained the status of city and became seat of a Catholic diocese. The city was embellished in particular during the 18th century. After the unification of Italy in the 19th century, Prato became a primary industrial centre, especially in the textile sector and population grew up to 50,000 in 1901 and to 180,000 in 2001. Previously part of the province of Florence, in 1992 Prato became the capital of the eponymous province. |