This quote by Pasteur expresses the amazement of the people of Prato about the discovery of their Etruscan past, when a few years go a large settlement dating to the Archaic age (6th-5th centuries BC) was unearthed near Gonfienti during excavations to build the Central Tuscany Interport.
Several earlier finds had already indicated the presence of the Etruscans in the Prato area, including bronze statuettes found in the nearby hill of Pizzidimonte, the most famous of which, known as "The Offerer", is kept at the British Museum in London.
This exceptional archaeological discovery sheds new light on the Etruscan presence in the area north of the Arno River, where Prato-Gonfienti was a very important strategic hub of the routes that crossed over the Apennines towards the "twin" town of Marzabotto and the Po plain.
So far the excavations, which have unearthed finds and artefacts of extraordinary value (particularly the red-figure pottery, including the Kylix attributed to the artist Douris), have covered only a small part of the Etruscan town.