"THE SACRED BELT"

According to tradition, the Sacred Belt of the Virgin Mary - a piece of green woollen fabric, approximately 90 centimetres long, with little strings at the ends to tie it up - would be identified with the belt that Mary had given to St. Thomas on her ascending into Heaven.

The legend - already consolidated in the Thirteenth century - established that this relic was brought to Prato around 1141 by a merchant called Michael, who got married in Jerusalem and was given it as a dowry by the spouse's mother.Once he was back to his homeland, Michael preserved it secretly for years until the point of death, approximately in 1172, when he gave it to the Parish Church of St. Stephen that still preserves it.

The Sacred Belt was recognised as a holy relic by the ecclesiastical authorities. Therefore, it became an object of veneration and cult, whose fame soon crossed the walls of the town, attracting believers and pilgrims from distant towns and lands.

Among the many devotees, there are sovereigns such as Louis II of Angevin, king of Sicily and Jerusalem, who came to Prato for political reasons and paid homage to the Virgin Mary of the Sacred Belt, princes like Francis Gonzaga and distinguished persons such as Matthew d'Humières, ambassador of Charles VI, who applied for a special permission - that was granted by the Florentine Signoria - just to see the precious relic. The above mentioned personalities were all guests of Francesco di Marco Datini and stayed at his residence.
Being a sacred object with miraculous powers as well as the heart of the town devotion and public spirit, the Belt helped the local clergy to enhance its prestige and independence towards the Bishop of Pistoia, whose diocese included Prato, and was used also to develop the town identity towards strangers.

The attempt to steal it - occurred in 1312 and ended tragically with the cruel public execution of Giovanni di Ser Landetto from Pistoia called Musciattino that, as it seemed, wanted to purloin the relic to sell it to the Commune of Florence - clearly gives evidence of the civil importance of the Belt.

Its theft would have diminished the town prestige and specificity. Worth mentioning are the origin of the thief and the destination of the relic, that is to say the two powerful and close enemies: Pistoia and Florence.
Not only a symbol of the town religiousness, the relic of the Virgin Mary was a clear testimony of the common aspiration to share a collective identity. This is the reason why the Belt managed to involve into its history not only the local Church and the popular feeling but also the civil town authorities.
The town authorities - in order to preserve the Sacred Belt, considered as a common patrimony by the whole town - issued precise dispositions and strict laws for its custody, establishing methods of access to the relic that provided for the presence of both town clergy and magistrates. After the attempt to steal the relic, one provided with the extension of the Parish Church and the construction of a special chapel in order to safeguard the Belt.
Even the ceremony of its exhibition to believers during the September fair - taking place on 8th of the month, dedicated to the celebration of the nativity of the Virgin Mary and representing the climax of the entire feast - was accurately regulated by town Statutes.