A little more of an half hour from our campsite you can visit Prato, although it may seem in the shadows compared to other tuscan cities, it will succeed to surprise you with its rich history. Prato is rich in beautiful sights such as the green areas of the Center of Natural Sciences and the protected natural area of Calvana. There are also museums such as the museum of Palazzo Pretorio, the museum of planetary sciences, the Museo del Tessuto and the Luigi Pecci Centro di Arte Contemporanea.

Tuscany’s rich cuisine is very alive in Prato too, there are culinary influences of various kinds. This can be seen from the wide variety of dishes and typical Prato products, from sweets to simple Pappa al Pomodoro, from the wine to dried figs of Carmignano.

Prato really has something for people of all tastes, let’s have a look at the best products from the region.

Fettunta, bread and oil : "Bono come il pane" in Tuscany is a way of saying that someone has a good soul. In fact, there really is nothing better than Tuscan bread, especially when freshly baked. The Tuscan bread, strictly without salt, is known for its composition and can be complemented to various dishes, one of many is the "fettunta" or simply bread with olive oil. Often, before seasoning the fettunta, the bread is heated, after which it is rubbed with garlic and only then a pinch of salt is added for those who want it, and of course olive oil. The fettunta can be eaten at any time of the day.

* Olive oil is a standard in the home of Tuscan families. The edible gold, which color varies in yellow, gold and deep green, is able to flavor every dish. In Tuscany the competition to have the best olive oil is very high - especially among the oil producers of Pistoia and Prato.

In recent years the restaurants of Prato have added the fettunta to their menu, this has become such a unique dish, even if with some revisitation that has moved away a bit from the tuscan tradition.

Cantucci di Prato : Cantucci or “biscotti di Mattonella" are rustic almond biscuits, created by the pastry chef Antonio Mattei in the 19th century. They are often accompanied by Vin Santo and dipped into a nice cup of tea.

Peaches of Prato : Prato peaches are considered the best representative of the Prato pastry making culture together with the Mattonella di Prato biscuits. They are soft pastries filled with cream, softened by alchermes liqueur.

Dry figs of Carmignano: The dried figs are Slow Food presidium and owe their birth to the farmer tradition of the hills of Carmignano, a large green valley where IGP oil is also produced. In Carmignano there is the saying "Carmignan da 'fichi", meaning that in the past every single family must have at least one fig tree. The drying period of figs is forty days, during which the fig takes on a sweet, almost sugary taste. The dried Figs of Carmignano can be used to accompany dishes, for an afternoon snack, as fruit after meals or simply when we crave this delicious good.

Carmignano DOCG wine: Carmignano is an agricultural power of Prato, because it not only produces "Toscano IGP" oil and products such as dried figs - the municipality is internationally recognized for the production of DOCG wine. The most famous wines of the Carmignanese area are DOC Barco Reale di Carmignano, DOCG Carmignano (in the basic variant), born from the Sangiovese and "Uva Francesca" wines. The Vinsanto DOC "Occhio di Pernice" and the Aleatico IGT, two passito wines, are also produced in Carmignano. These two passito wines perfectly accompany the various typical sweets of the Prato area.

Mantovana Pratese: is the typical cake of Prato’s tradition and are, like the cantucci biscuits, exported all over the world. The are often combined with other products in Christmas baskets that the owners of companies from Prato send to their customers as a mean of saying thank you.

Mortadella di Prato: is one of the most consumed products of the Prato area, made with meat discarded by the production of finocchiona. It is a salami that is strong spiced with garlic, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, black pepper, salt and aroma alchermes.

Castagnaccio: Like many other dishes from Prato and Tuscany, the castagnaccio is a ‘poor dish’, made with chestnut flour, sultanas, pine nuts, water, extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Appreciated for its chestnut aroma it is often prepared at home and the recipe is handed down from generation to generation.

Pappa al pomodoro: is a typical home-made product, a simple dish of fast preparation that although its farmer roots is still appreciated today. The pappa al pomodoro can be found in any restaurant or in the course of any aperitif in Prato. Its success is given by the combination of a few ingredients such as tuscan bread, tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil.

And these are the most important products that will always be present in the home of a Tuscan family. At this point all we can advise you is book your stay in Tuscany so that you can try some of the best food in the world.