The Church of San Domenico in Prato is one of the most important in the city, founded in 1200 together with the neighbouring convent. The medieval façade is very evocative, which is partly decorated in albarese stone, while the upper part is covered in simple terracotta. Above the portals, there are two coats of arms topped by a cardinal’s galero, or hat, to indicate the patronage of cardinal Niccolò Albertini, since the church was built thanks to a bequest upon the man’s death. On the side, there is a large portal designed by Giovanni Pisano.
In contrast with the medieval exterior, the interior is clear 17th century, with a single, wide nave with ten altars in square niches, each topped by a barrel vault, and a characteristic contrast between the pristine plaster surfaces and the grey stone on the lavish Baroque choir, home to a detailed high altar. The side altars contain priceless works of art, like a Crucifixion by Lorenzo di Niccolò, a Miracle of St. Vincent by Pier Dandini and an Annunciation by Matteo Rosselli.
To the right of the building, the convent can be accessed via a large Renaissance atrium, characterized by elegant ionic columns, along which are funerary monuments and tombstones dating to the 19th century. On the eastern side of the cloister is the sacristy, which conserves a 14th-century fresco. The chapter house dates to the 1400s and is decorated by frescoes with scenes from the life of St. Dominic.
