Travelogue of An Armchair Traveller: Sacra Cintola (Holy Belt) of the Virgin Mary, Prato Cathedral

Sacra Cintola - the holy belt/girdle of Virgin Mary is kept in the chapel of the Cathedral of the city of Prato (Duomo di Prato), Italy.

As per the legend it was given to the Apostle Thomas on her ascension to Heaven. It is housed in a magnificent reliquary which is kept in the equally beautiful "Pulpit of the Sacred Girdle" on the external facade of the Cathedral.

The Cathedral is more than 1000 years old and was built around the 10th century and rebuilt later in several successive stages. During the 12th century, the Cathedral came into possession of the holy relic by way of gift from a local merchant who had married a Palestinian woman in 1141 and she had brought the holy relic with her as part of her dowry.

A special chapel - The Cintola Chapel was built at this time to house the relic and has frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi depicting histories of the Virgin Mary and the Cintola and also depicting the story how the Girdle reached Prato.

The Holy Relic is taken out five times a year and shown to the huge crowds who gather at the piazza. The dates of exposition are - Christmas, Easter, May 1 (the month dedicated to Virgin Mary), August 15 (Assumption of Virgin Mary) and with particular solemnity on September 8 (Nativity of Virgin Mary). The exposition is made from the pulpit, built between 1428-1438 by Michelozzo and decorated by Donatello.