The Outdoor Art Of Prato

Art is not something which merely lives in the past or which is stuck in museums in Tuscany today. Despite the long historical legacy of art production in the region, it is still very much alive and is visible everywhere you go from the vast array of graffiti in Milan, to Keith Haring in Pisa, to the humorous interventions with mundane objects by Clet in Florence. Just wandering the streets of most Tuscan towns will bring you into contact with art in a way that isn't possible in most other places in the world. Prato, likewise, has art at every turn, from both modern and contemporary artists as well as the older monuments and buildings. Find a vacation rental in Prato and stroll through its medieval streets to uncover the newer artworks hidden in plain sight.

Pack a picnic or pick up some food to go and head out onto the streets of Prato and you can spend a pleasant day exploring her streets and spotting her art. Few territories in Italy and Europe can boast an important contemporary art heritage like Prato and its territory due to the support and activity of the Luigi Pecci Centre for Contemporary Art and to the numerous works of art well integrated in the landscape. These outdoor artworks include pieces by Giò Pomodoro, Mauro Staccioli and Henry Moore and there is even an outdoor museum at Luicciana. If you begin at the Pecci Centre, there is an outdoor sculpture garden which includes Enzo Cucchi's marble La Concha, Matteucci's iron Reflection of the Cosmic Order, Anne and Patrick Poirier's Broken Column and Mauro Staccioli's Prato. The Centre's garden also boasts fountains, including an aluminium work by Albert Hien.

Heading, then, toward the city centre, you'll encounter Henry Moore's Square Form, the first major work of contemporary art which was commissioned for the city of Prato and which is located close to Piazza San Marco. It is an imposing and impressive piece that still grabs your attention, despite the fact that many other works have since been commissioned for the city. In fact, it has become a symbol of Prato and is inextricably tied to her image and landscape. The work is composed of thirty large blocks of marble, personally selected by Moore from the Apuane quarries

Other highlights include Giò Pomodoro's Isla Nigra e Pablo Neruda in the city gardens on Via Carlo Marx and the two open-air museums; Quinto Martini Museum-Park in Seano and the Open Air Museum at Luicciana, in the small town of Cantagallo. If you're an art-lover, Prato was practically built for you and is a must-see in Tuscany!