The venue — Monash Prato Centre
Monash University Prato Centre
The 18th-century Palazzo Vaj in the historic centre of Prato — a beautifully restored Renaissance building hosting Monash's European hub for teaching, research and conferences.
- Address
- Via Pugliesi 26, 59100 Prato, Italy
- Conference room
- Sala Veneziana (plenaries) · Sala Toscana & Sala Romana (parallels)
- Registration
- Prato Centre lobby — Sun 5 Jul (15:30–17:30) and Mon 6 Jul (08:30–09:00)
- Accessibility
- Step-free access via the courtyard entrance — please let the team know if you have specific needs.
Getting to Prato
Florence Peretola Airport (FLR)
The closest airport. From the terminal, take the Vola in Bus shuttle into Florence Santa Maria Novella station (~25 min) and then a 20-minute regional train to Prato Centrale.
Trains run roughly every 15 minutes during the day. Buy tickets at trenitalia.com or at the station.
Pisa International Airport (PSA)
If a direct flight to Pisa works better, take the PisaMover people-mover to Pisa Centrale, then a regional train to Prato (changing at Florence Santa Maria Novella or Florence Rifredi).
Often cheaper than flying into Florence. Total journey ~1 h 50 min.
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ)
Marconi Express to Bologna Centrale, then a high-speed train (Frecciarossa or Italo) to Prato. Consider it if you're combining the trip with cities further north.
Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Leonardo Express to Roma Termini, then a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train direct to Prato. Comfortable, fast, and a chance to see Tuscany roll past the window.
Around the city
From Prato Centrale to the venue
Walk: ~15 minutes through the historic centre.
Bus: any city bus stopping at Piazza San Francesco, then 4 minutes on foot.
Taxi: ~5 minutes; ranks at the station, or call +39 0574 41441 (Radio Taxi Prato).
Where to stay
Most delegates stay in the historic centre within 10 minutes' walk of the Prato Centre. Common choices include the Hotel Datini, Hotel Giardino and small guest houses around Piazza del Comune.
Florence is also feasible if you don't mind the 20-minute commute by train.
Walking around
Prato is small and walkable. Cobbled streets, so flat shoes are friend, not foe.
Don't miss the Cattedrale di Santo Stefano (with Filippo Lippi's frescoes), Piazza del Comune, and the cafés along Via Ricasoli.
Money & SIMs
Italy uses the euro (€). Cards accepted almost everywhere; carry €20–€50 in cash for small caffès and bakeries.
If you're outside the EU and need data, eSIMs from Airalo or Holafly are simplest. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi.
On the day
Wi-Fi at the Prato Centre
eduroam is available throughout the building — log in with your home institution credentials. A guest network is available from the registration desk if you need it.
Hashtag & sharing
Use #PES2026 to share your experience. Tag @MonashPharm on most platforms.
Time zone
Prato runs on Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) in July.
Australia is +8 h ahead (AEST), the UK is −1 h, the US East Coast is −6 h.
Currency
Euro (€). Tipping isn't expected — round up the bill or leave a couple of euros if service was lovely.
Language
Italian is the local language; English is widely understood in the centre. Buongiorno, grazie, prego will get you a long way.