Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Sacred art museum next to Cathedral of Santo Stefano, Prato, Italy
The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo is an art museum situated next to the Cathedral of Santo Stefano and displays religious works spanning different periods. The exhibition occupies multiple rooms and includes paintings, sculptures, archaeological finds, and a medieval cloister structure.
The museum was founded in 1967 within the Bishop's Palace to preserve artworks from the Cathedral and surrounding diocesan territory. Over the decades, the collection grew through acquisitions and restoration of pieces connected to the local artistic tradition.
The museum's identity is tied to the Sacra Cintola, the belt relic venerated in Prato since the 12th century. Room 3 holds Niccolò di Mercia's 1358–1360 white marble relief of the Virgin giving the belt to Saint Thomas, plus an 18th-century embroidered garment for the Madonna statue. The Donatello room takes its name from the pulpit parapet (1434–1438) made for the solemn display of the relic.
The entrance is located at the base of the cathedral bell tower next to the main church and is easy to locate. Visitors should allow time to explore multiple exhibition rooms and can also visit the adjacent cathedral.
The "Volte" under the cathedral transept were built in 1320-1326 as a burial area and still carry many carved coats of arms and painted insignia from the 14th to 18th centuries. Look for the Guizzelmi tomb, frescoed in 1508-1510 by Girolamo Ristori and Tommaso di Piero Trombetto, and the foundations of the 13th-century apse visible in the central zone.
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