The Hexagonal circuit of the city walls dates back to the 14th century (with gates erected in the 14th and 16th centuries, and 15th century ramparts), enclosing the medieval town centre, built around the 13th century Piazza del Comune (Town-hall square), which ideally and geometrically represents the heart of the city at the crossroad of its main throughfares.
The square is flanked on two sidesby the Medieval Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) (see picture) with its arched portico (medieval, tough the facade by G. Valentini is of the end of te 18th century). Inside is the stately Salone del Consiglio (Council Hall) and the picture gallery containing portraits of benefactors and governors from the 15th to the 19th centuries other works of art are housed in the adjoining rooms.
Across the square is theimposing structure of the Pretorio Palace, a 14th century reconstruction of the ancient family houses of the Pipini family, with battlements and bell-tower built in the 16th century, which was the seat of the republican government and the law-courts. The spacious halls accomodate the Galleria Comunale (The Town Art Gallery), including a rich collection of paintings of the Florentine School (14th-19th centuries), as well as of the Roman and Neapolitan schools: works by B. Daddi, Giovanni Da Milano, Filippo and Filippino Lippi, Battistello, G. Ferretti, and plasters casts by L. Bartolini.
In the square, the Fonte del Bacchino is a copy of F. Tacca's Bacchius foutain of 1659, now inside the town hall. Nearly, the 17th century Palazzo Buonamici in via Ricasoli houses the Archivio Fotografico Toscano and the Province.

Via G.Mazzoni opens into the spacious Piazza del Duomo with the Cattedrale di S. Stefano (St. Stephen's Cathedral) (see picture), this is a splendid example of romanesque-gothic architecture, which in spite of many trasformations, is given unity by the intelligent use of the two colours of stone: light alberese and dark green serpentine.
Standing out from the facade (with an A. Della Robbia relief on the portal) is the Pulpit of Donatello and Michelozzo (1434-38, original reliefs in the nearly museum) Inside the Cathedral the gothic vaulted transept (with frescoes by Paolo Uccello and Filippo Lippi, and a Madonna by Da Maiano) is inserted into the romanesque body of the church with its three naves, the work of Guidetto in the early 13th century; onto it opens the Chapel of the Sacred Girdle with a Madonna by G. Pisano (about 1317), frescoes by A. Gaddi, and railing by Maso di bartolomeo.

The Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) is in the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop's Palace, 14th-17th centuries) and houses paintings dating from the 13th-19th centuries by G. Bonsi, Paolo Uccello, L. Mehus, C. Dolci, an altar-frontal by Giroldo da Como, reliefs from Donatello's Pulpit, anthem books, hanging and gold-work. Nearly is the Church of S. Agostino, 13th-15th centuries. From here one can reach the Church of S. Domenico: an exquisite gothic structure in alberese and brick, built about 1284-1325. The 1480 cloisters give access to the Museo di Pittura Murale (Museum of Wall-painting) with detached frescoes, sinopites and graffiti by N. Gerini, A. Gaddi, Paolo Uccello and Volterrano.

In front of S. Domenico is the church of Monastero di S. Vincenzo (St. Vincent's Monastery) with is pleasant and luminous baroque interior, 1733. Close by are the Monastero di S. Clemente (St. Clement's Monastery)and St. Nicholas' Conservatory at the end of Corso Savonarola (14th-17th centuries)rich in works of art (church decorated in 18th century style). Via Mazzamuti leads to Piazza dell'Ospedale della Misericordia (13th-17th centuries) with the Renaissance Spedalinghi Palace. After coming back in via S: Caterina; passing the elegant neoclassic church of S. Pier Forelli (1840) one finds Piazza del Collegio, dominated by the massive structure of the Collegio Cicognini (Cicognini Boarding School) with its severe 18th century facade, among the famous school's past pupils are Bettino Ricasoli, Gabriele D'Annunzio and Curzio malaparte. Not far is the Chiesa dello Spirito Santo (Church of the Holy Spirit) with many painting by Jacopo di Cione, Filippo Lippi and G.A: Sogliani. Coming back to via Tinaia one can reach via Rinaldesca. Here, in the Palazzo dell CariPrato (the Savings Bank Palace, built in the 14th-15th and 19th centuries) the Galleria degli Alberti (Alberti gallery) is housed; this is a valuable collection of tuscan baroque paintings, as well as works by Caravaggio, G. Bellini, Filippo Lippi, L. Bartolini. Palazzo Datini is also in this street, a rare example of a late 14th century home, frescoed also on the outside, built by the brillant Prato merchant Francesco Datini. A few steps further is the spacious Piazza S. Francesco (St. Francis Square) with the 18th century Palazzo della Biblioteca Roncioniana (Roncioniana Library) containing a fine reading room and a Della Robbia group in the entrance. The Church of S. Francesco, built approximately betwee 1281-1315, has brick flanks and transept and handsome two-tone alberese and green Prato marble facade, crowned by a Renaissance tympanum. Inside there are works from te 15th century, including the Datini and Inghirami tombs and the pilpit; in 1439-40 cloister is the Migliorati Chapel with an important cycle of frescoes by N. Gerini (approximately 1400).

The neighboring Piazza delle Carceri (Prato Tourist Information Bureau) is dominated by the massive stereometric alberese-stone structure of the Castello dell'Imperatore (Emperior's Castle), (see picture) the only example of Swabian architecture in central and northern Italiy. This was built though not completed over a pre-existing structure, by Riccardo da Lentini (about 1242-48) by order of Frederick of Antioch (son of Frederick II) as the seat of the Imperial Vicars in Tuscany. The extraordinary scenic beauty of the square is completed by the Basilica di S. Maria delle Carceri (Basilica of S. Mary of the prisons), built by Giuliano da Sangallo (in 1485-92) by order of Lorenzo il Magnifico, over the remains of an ancient prison. This is an architectural masterpiece of harmonious proportions, with its typically Renaissance style Greeck Cross design and dome; inside there are works by Andrea Della Robbia and B. Buontalenti.

After crossing via Cairoli (towards the right is the Teatro Metastasio - Metastasio theater - elegantly tiered with boxes, the work of L. Cambray Digny in 1827-30) via Garibaldi connects the Cathedral Square with the largest square in Prato, Piazza Mercatale, since the 12th century site of markets and of the fair; the Church of S. Bartolomeo faces the square. In the adjoining via S. Silvestro is the Sanctuary of St. Mary of the Lily that looks on Piazza San Marco. Here, at the centre of a lawn, a magnificient white marble sculpture by Henry Moore: "Square Form with Cut" (placed here in 1974).

After leaving St. Mark Square, through an area that has been quite recently developed, the visitor reaches Viale della Repubblica where the Institute T. Buzzi school of textile technology founded in 1896 is situated. On the same avenue is the modern Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci (Luigi Pecci Museum of Contemporary art), L. Gamberini. This is not only an exhibition space, but a seat of international research and artistic production, housing an efficient Information And Visual Arts Documentation Center (C.I.D.).

The area to the north of the town, beyond the Bisenzio river, provides opportunities for walks and excursions on the slopes of the Calvana mountains: from the Santuario di S. Maria della Pietà (Sanctuary of St. Mary of Mercy), built by G. Menichini in 1616-19, to the area known as Giolica, the former St. Anne Convent of the 13th-16th centuries, handsome16th- to 18th centuries residences, and the romanesque church of St. Cristina a Pimonte, containing frescoes; or in the direction of Filettole, the Villa del Palco.

Various mountain paths marked CAI (the italian alpine excursion club) lead up the ridges of Calvana, to Cavagliano, Retaia (768 metres above sea-level) and Monte Mggiore (916 m.).

To the south, just outside the city walls, is the Sanctuary of St. Mary of Succour, built in the 16th century, an further on the Ippodromo Comunale (a sporting complex, with swimming pool). In the wide plain sloping toward the Ombrone river, several individual hamlets each cluster around their own parish church, some of which of considerable historical andartistic interest, such as S. Ippolito in Piazzanese with green marble apses, S. Pietro a Iolo, S. Giusto with the Oratorio of San Bartolomeo, S. Maria a Colonica.

Large area to the south of A11 motorway (Firenze-Mare), known as Macrolotti, have been planned and equipped to house concentrations of industrial plants that are moving out of town, in order to obtain better environmental control. Further on is the large park known as the Cascine di Tavola, housing the Pavoniere Golf Club, the one-time farming estate of the Grand Duke at the Villa of Poggio a Caiano, with its many-towered renaissance farm.