Amidst industrious valleys, green marble and ancient cloisters
The bas-relief is read from left to right and from top to bottom, across three horizontal levels.
The letters, which refer to the legend below, are positioned on slightly raised plaques; the legend also indicates the orientation of the panoramic views.

A – Prato-Pistoia Plain – indicated by the letter A: the westernmost part of Prato is a flat plain bounded by the Pistoia Mountains to the north and Montalbano to the south.
B – Tuscan Apennines – marked with the letter B: the hills silhouetted against the background form part of the Tuscan Apennines, characterised by high biodiversity and peaks exceeding 2,000 metres in altitude.
C – Monteferrato – marked with the letter C: continuing on, you come to a hilly landscape characterised by three gently sloping peaks: Poggio Ferrato, Monte Mezzano and Monte Piccioli. This is the Monteferrato Protected Natural Area, a vast hilly region stretching across the municipalities of Prato, Vaiano and Montemurlo.
From these hills, particularly from the Figline area of Prato, serpentine – Prato’s green marble – was quarried. Thanks to its rich biodiversity and hilly terrain, the area offers picturesque panoramic walks.
D – Monastery and convent vegetable gardens – indicated by the letter D: from the left, arranged across the entire central section of the bas-relief, one can make out, amongst the expansive rooftops, green spaces enclosed by walls. These are the vegetable gardens and gardens of the complexes of San Niccolò, San Vincenzo and San Clemente, which ensured the self-sufficiency of the religious communities, providing places for contemplation and work. The monasteries often housed women from noble Florentine families, who led a cloistered life here. Saint Catherine de’ Ricci, co-patron saint of Prato, lived in the monastery of San Vincenzo alongside Saint Stephen.
E – Church of San Domenico – marked with the letter E: on the left stands the Church of San Domenico with its cloister and large garden. This imposing Gothic brick building was one of the centres of the Order of Preachers. Within these walls, in 1496, Girolamo Savonarola preached; in his fiery sermons, he prophesied the terrible Sack of Prato in 1512. To its right lies the square of the same name, Piazza di San Domenico.
F – Church of San Fabiano – marked with the letter F: in the centre, characterised by its terracotta bell tower, stands the Church of San Fabiano. It is one of the city’s oldest churches, first documented in 1082 as an abbey and a place of welcome for pilgrims and the sick. Inside, it houses an extremely valuable mosaic floor dating back to the 11th century.
G – Church of Sant’Agostino – marked with the letter G: continuing on, on the right you will find the garden and the side façade of the Church of Sant’Agostino, founded by the Augustinian monks in 1270. The large square in front of it, a characteristic feature of churches belonging to the Order of Preachers, was designed to accommodate a large number of worshippers during sermons and public celebrations.
H – Gualdimare Tower – marked with the letter H: at the bottom, in the centre, stands the Gualdimare Tower in Via Cesare Guasti, an ancient 12th-century tower house that originally served as a defence for the gate of the same name in the city’s oldest city walls; it was subsequently incorporated into the urban fabric with the construction of the 14th-century walls.