Piazza San Francesco, Historic square in Prato, Italy.

Piazza San Francesco is a central square in Prato with a 19th-century obelisk standing at its center, bordered by the Church of San Francesco and the Roncioniana Library. The plaza combines historic buildings with a paved area that accommodates both vehicles and pedestrians.

The square's current name dates from the 14th century, when it replaced the older name Piazza dell'Appianato. The site held the rubble of the old Castrum Prati, from which the city of Prato originated. In November 1889 it was renamed Piazza XX Settembre, and on 16 September 1926 the administration restored the name San Francesco.

The square's name comes from the church of San Francesco and its Franciscan convent, which borders the east side. Until the mid-19th century a palio horse race ran here from Porta Santa Trinità in honour of the miracles of the Madonna delle Carceri. On 17 June 1809 Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister, watched it from the terrace of Palazzo Banci Buonamici while the crowd ate at a free table.

Most of the square is taken up by parking for cars and motorcycles; only the strip in front of the church of San Francesco is pedestrianized. Enter the square from that side to reach the church and convent on foot without crossing the parking area.

The Fontana dei Delfini in the square is an 18th-century work by the sculptor Pietro Tacca, not a 17th-century piece by Ferdinando Tacca. Look for it among the square's furnishings rather than at the centre, where the 19th-century obelisk to Giuseppe Garibaldi stands.