He began his art studies at the Istituto Gazzola at Piacenza, under professor Pietrogiorgi (
Giuseppe Badiaschi), then moved to Parma under the professor
Simone Cantoni. He worked as a scenographer for the theater of Parma with professor
Girolamo Magnani. Prati also worked in the theaters of
Reggio Emilia,
Turin, and
Mantua. Returning to Piacenza, he was employed by the Teatro Municipali, working along with
Giuseppe Giorgi. He decorated with ornamentation, the chapel of Santa Francesca Romana, for the church of
Sant'Antonino in Piacenza; and a chapel in the church of Santo Stefano also in Piacenza, and another in the church of
Pontenure. He painted a quadratura frescoes in Casa Lucca in Piacenza, via Sopramuro, in the House of Del Guasto, and in the House of Doctor Missaga in Stradella, and the ceiling of Casa Mandelli in Piacenza, and in a room in Casa Lucca. His son was the painter
Enrico Prati. A 17th-century poet and composer named
Antonio Maria Prati lived in Parma. ==References==