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Photo: Sailko, CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Abbey / Monastery, 15th century
Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci
Church building in Prato, Italy
At a glance
- Type
- Abbey / Monastery
- Period
- Middle Ages, 15th century
- Style
- Baroque architecture
- Coordinates
- 43°52′54″ N, 11°05′37″ E
History and description
The Minor Basilica of Santi Vicenzo e Caterina de' Ricci is a Catholic church, built in the 16th to 18th centuries, and located in the town of Prato, in Tuscany, Italy. Adjacent to the church is a 16th-century monastery.
Construction
The original church of San Vicenzo had been built in the 16th century, but refurbished over the following centuries. The church is now also dedicated to Caterina de' Ricci (1522-1590), who had been a nun associated with the adjacent convent of San Vicenzo Ferrer. About 150 years after her death, Catherine was beatified (1732) and subsequently canonized (1742). After her beatification, this church underwent major refurbishment (1732-1735) under Giovanni Battista Bettini (il Cignaroli) and Girolamo Ticciati. Saint Catherine's remains are displayed under the main altar. The reconstruction and canonization led to making the church a minor basilica. Both the interior and exterior are baroque in style.
Works of art
The church houses a Nativity (16th century) by Michele delle Colombe, a marble relief of Madonna and Child (15th century) by Matteo Civitali, and the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alessandria by Vincenzo Meucci. On the wall of the nave and above the altar is a series of framed relief sculptures by Girolamo Ticciati and Vicenzo Foggini (died 1755), son of the better-known sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini, depicting various miracles associated with Saint Catherine. The ceiling canvases are by Pucci.
Adjacent monastery
Next to the church is the cloistered monastery founded in 1503 and later expanded during the life of Caterina de’ Ricci. The atrium leads to the Papalini Madonna Chapel. Legends hold that the chapel houses a 16th-century maiolica bust that caused the Spanish troops of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Pope Julius II to spare the monastery during the 1512 Sack of Prato. The altar has two panels depicting and Assumption and Scenes from the Passion (circa 1576) by Michele delle Colombe; it also houses precious paintings by Simone Pignoni (Saints Catherine and Tecla); Lorenzo Lippi (St Francis di Sales); Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (Madonna and Child); as well from the studio of Giovanni Battista Naldini. There is an altarpiece by Michele Tosini in the garden of the Chapel of Madonna di Loreto. Some sites in the convent are closed to visitors.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci».
Timeline
- 15th centuryBuilt
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
Prato Porta al SerraglioTrain, nearest
500 m as the crow flies
Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci
Aeroporto Firenze Amerigo Vespucci11.9 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore abbeys and monasteries in Tuscany
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci?
Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci is in Prato, in the province of Prato (Tuscany), Italy. GPS coordinates: 43.88180, 11.09350.
How old is Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci?
Wikidata dates it to the 15th century.
What else is there to see near Santi Vincenzo e Caterina de' Ricci?
Nearby you’ll find: Monastero di San Clemente (100 m away), Museum of Mural Painting (100 m away), San Niccolò (200 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 7 photos
- Basilica di Santa Caterina de' Ricci 01 — Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Basilica di Santa Caterina de' Ricci interno 07 — Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Santi Vincenzo e Caterina-nave 1 — Massimilianogalardi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santi Vincenzo e Caterina-to the exit — Massimilianogalardi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santa caterina de' ricci, reliquie 02 — Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- San Vincenzo by night 2 — Massimilianogalardi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- San Vincenzo di notte — Massimilianogalardi, CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences