Since 1174, when the sacred reliquary of the “Cintola” was bestowed, the history and prosperity of Prato has been influenced by the faith that the town was under divine protection.
Organized by Contemporanea Progetti in collaboration with the Fundación “la Caixa” of Barcelona, Spain, the exhibition “Between the Sacred and Profane. The Renaissance in Prato” offered a selection of ca. 60 outstanding works of art, including delicate tempera on wood panels, dating from the 1300s to the 1700s, that illustrated the rich and unique artistic patrimony of Prato. The special relationship between the city, saints and sanctuaries has been the source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, but reached in particular sublime levels of expression in the early Renaissance school of Filippo Lippi.