The right portal of the Cathedral of Prato hides a complex of symbols wrapped in a veil of mystery. On the south side, in fact, there are engravings that seem to be of a Gnostic-Kabbalistic nature and belong to an ancient religious reality. The signs have a very high meaning and represent the remote glyphs from which each creed originated. They indicate the path to get to the Divine; on the left, starting from the bottom up, the path is guided by Rationality, on the right, instead starting always from the bottom up, the path is guided by the Holy Spirit. In particular, it is possible to decrypt the symbols by proceeding for some interpretative stages. For both the left and right columns, each symbol has a translation from symbology to "dictate" respectively.
For the left column the meaning is:
-In the rational constructions the Divine is always present;
-The search is delimited of the Divine;
-Rationality is at the service of the Divine;
-Meeting between Reason and Divine.
For the right column, the process is:
-The Divine creates the cosmic order;
-The Divine gives faith;
-The sacrifice on the cross made the spiritual journey possible;
-Meeting between Reason and Divine.
Each symbol therefore has a precise interpretation and meaning and various decodings make these glyphs even belong to Templar symbols. In fact, by analyzing the portal, it is possible to see a numerical code which translates into the importance of the number 5 for the left side and the number 8 for the right one. Significant is the quantity of symbols (4 + 4 = 8) which recalls the Templar cross built on an octagonal base. The south portal of the Duomo is thus wrapped in a layer of legendary and fascinating mystery. The idea that Templar influence has passed through Prato makes the city tied to a veil of intriguing secrecy.