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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Cappella del Sacro Cingolo – Duomo di Prato

Cappella del Sacro Cingolo – Duomo di Prato

Piazza del Duomo, 59100 Prato PO

RELIGIONS Catholic

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SITE

DESCRIPTION
The chapel of the Sacro Cingolo occupies the first span of the left aisle of the Cathedral of Prato, and was built between 1386 and 1390 to preserve the precious relic of municipal property; the chapel preserves a remarkable cycle of frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi and his studio, and various works of art including a Madonna with Child by Giovanni Pisano and the rare bronze grating of the early Renaissance.
HISTORICAL RELEVANCE
From a historical point of view, the chapel represents the architectural solution to the conflict, which arose in the 13th century, between the Municipality of Prato, owner of the relic, and the Canons of the Cathedral, custodians of the relic. It also represents the symbol of religious autonomy from the nearby dioceses of Pistoia and Florence, autonomy claimed for centuries by the Prato Church.
INTER-RELIGIOUS RELEVANCE
The chapel is also a place of pilgrimage from the Orthodox East, where the cult of the Marian relic is very deeply rooted, and where other similar relics are preserved.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
The religious influence of the relic was crucial, both economically, because the veneration of the Cintola was in the Middle Ages the occasion of a free market that attracted thousands of pilgrims and merchants in the city, and from the urban planning point of view, because it determined the structure of the square of the Cathedral, and finally from the the religious point of view, because it was the basis for the religious autonomy of the Diocese, obtained only in 1653.
HOW TO USE WITH THE STUDENTS
Conduct a research activity, in the class or at home, on the relationships between civil and religious institutions in the Middle Ages;
- Conduct a research activity, in the class, on commercial and religious relations in the Middle Ages between the Near East and Mediterranean countries.
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.