PRATO

Folklore and traditional feasts
Troughout the year there is a wealth of local holidays and festivities to be found from the Bisenzio valley to Montalbano, many of which connected to religious celebrations. One of the oldest is the September Fair of Prato, culminating on September 8th with the exhbition to the public of the Sacra Cintola (the sacred Girdle of the Virgin Mary), followed by the Corteggio Storico - a procession in historical costumes which is an ample review of Tuscan folklore. Another unique festival is the Palio dei Ciuchi (donkey race), and also the richly staged pageant no the feast of St. Michael (September 29th) in Carmignano.

There are a number of typical festivities intended as means of exorcising the old fear of famine, such as the Polentina (corn-meal) feast at S.Quirico near Vernio on the first Sunday in Lent, and the Carnevalino at S. Ippolito on Ash Wednesday. May festivals known as Maggiolate, and festivities connected with wine making in Autumn are lively and enjoyable. The summer season is particularly full of events often original and suggestive, organized in Prato, Poggio a Caiano, Carmignano, Montemurlo and Vaiano as well as in other small centres.

Eating and drinking
The cookery in the Prato area, still distinguishing itself by some local specialities, is an integrant part of the Tuscan ona and more widely refers to the Mediterranean cookingof the middle basin. The dishes that are noteworthy are bread soup, black cabbage pap, "tortelli" filled with potatoes, stuffed celery, rabbit with gravy. Bound to the traditional backery speciality the sweets to taste with the Vinsanto of Montalbano hills are the biscuits with almonds of Prato, the sweet candied loaf, bruttibuoni (biscuits stuffed with minced hazel-nuts), mantovana cake (sponge cake covered with castor sugar), the sweets of Vernio. The apperizing hors-d'oeavres consist in local sliced ham (pig head and mortadella of Prato) and chicken livers on croutons. The wines to choose are the DOCG of Carmignano, the white wines, the Ruspo and the Vinsanto of the neighbouring hills of Montalbano and the black Pinot of Bagnolo.