Santa Maria delle Carceri, Renaissance minor basilica in Prato, Italy.
The church features a Greek cross plan with four identical arms topped by a dome supported by a drum with twelve circular windows.
Construction started in 1484 after reports of an animated Madonna and Child image on a prison wall, leading Lorenzo de Medici to commission Giuliano da Sangallo.
The interior decoration includes stained glass windows by Domenico Ghirlandaio and ceramic elements from Andrea della Robbia's workshop, representing Renaissance artistic excellence.
The basilica maintains regular visiting hours and stands in the center of Prato, making it accessible for tourists exploring the Tuscan region.
During summer solstice, sunlight enters through specific openings to illuminate the Madonna fresco, creating a calculated astronomical alignment.
Location: Prato
Inception: 15 century
Architects: Giuliano da Sangallo
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
Address: Piazza Santa Maria delle Carceri
GPS coordinates: 43.87942,11.09844
Latest update: May 12, 2025 14:55
Castello dell'Imperatore
58 m
San Francesco, Prato
109 m
Teatro Metastasio
83 m
Madonna del Giglio
66 m
Biblioteca Roncioniana
179 m
Piazza San Francesco
148 m
Palazzo Banci Buonamici
154 m
Migliorati Chapel
124 m
Palazzo Vai
124 m
Sant'Anna
154 m
Madonna del Buonconsiglio
177 m
Santa Maria in Castello
77 m
Palazzo Buonamici Nencini
168 m
Sant'Antonio Abate
115 m
Palazzo Bocchineri o Gatti
135 m
Spedale del Santo Sepolcro
92 m
Complesso Monumentale di San Francesco
156 m
Archangel Raphael and Tobias
175 m
Commemorative plaque and bust of Giovanni Battista Casotti
175 m
Cassero Medievale
156 m
Reading Room of the Biblioteca Roncioniana
175 m
Fresco of Luigi Catani at Biblioteca Roncioniana
163 m
Monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi
156 m
Piazza Santa Maria delle Carceri
29 m
Torri di Borgo al Cornio
176 m
Mercator globe of the Earth in the Reading Room of the Biblioteca Roncioniana
169 m
Commemorative plaque to Marco Roncioni
175 m
Mercator globe of the Sky in the Reading Room of the Biblioteca Roncioniana
166 mReviews
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