Blog: Discover Italy

People often ask me why I named my business “The Merchant of Prato”. Well, I am a lover of history and have my Master’s degree in Medieval Studies. An influential businessman lived during this time and he has come down in history as the Merchant of Prato. His name is Francesco di Marco Datini and he lived during the 1300’s in the Tuscan town of Prato, which is about 8 miles northeast of Florence, Italy. He was an important merchant who is created with implementing th …

In Florence, Italy stands an architectural masterpiece Ospedale degli Innocenti (The Hospital of the Innocents) created by Filippo Brunelleschi who designed the iconic symbol of Florence – The Duomo of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Visiting Florence, one would assume this majestic building must be a palace or a religious institution, however the purpose of this building was a lot less grand. It served as a “hospital” for abandoned children in Florence. Today, we tend to t …