The Cicognini Boarding School is much more than an educational institution, it is a true temple of local history and beyond. In the over three centuries of its life, illustrious people such as Gabriele D'Annunzio, Curzio Malaparte, Bettino Ricasoli, Cesare Guasti, Tommaso Landolfi, Sem Benelli, Giuseppe Mazzoni, and many others have lived and studied within its walls.

The oldest school in the city, now primary, secondary and high school, was founded in 1692 by the Jesuit fathers in the ancient headquarters of the Abbey of S. Maria a Grignano, and then moved to the current eighteenth-century building. The boarding school has been, over the centuries, a center of culture and education of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Republic.

The name of the boarding school is due to the Prato canon Francesco Cicognini, who left a will for the creation of a college dedicated to the instruction and education of young people, not only from Prato.

The building was designed by Giovan Battista Origoni, but at the end of the 18th century the architect Giuseppe Valentini also made some transformations.

Upon request, it is possible to visit some of the most evocative rooms of the building reserved for students: the private chapel, the refectory with frescoes by Giacinto Fabbroni, the visiting room and the theatre.