9 most beautiful Italian castles for your wedding
Why getting married in a castle is such a great idea? There are so many reasons! First of all, you can feel part of the local history and generations of people who used to live there. Then, Italian castles for weddings are usually exclusive and immersed in a magical atmosphere of rolling hills and impressive nature.
Don’t expect a classic Disney castle, Italian ones are usually medieval and sober, surrounded by beautiful gardens and lots of history. Since most of them were built to protect the noble family from potential intruders, they usually have a delightful view of the rolling hills and nearby villages. Here is an extensive list of the most beautiful Italian castles for your wedding.
1. Celsa Castle (Tuscany)
The XVI century chapel, inside this evocative castle, as well as the Italian garden, and the park, designed by the famous architect Baldassarre Peruzzi, born in this area, is the perfect place to celebrate an unforgettable wedding immersed in an atmosphere of times long gone.
The lawn that opens in front of the chapel can be used to celebrate your wedding ceremony for lovers of natural environments. The castle can host up to 180 guests in the former granary or lemon garden facilities. If you love Tuscany and nature, this is the right place for your wedding ceremony.
2. Vincigliata Castle (Tuscany)
This is one of the most romantic and beautiful venues just a few miles away from the center of Florence. You can see the center of Florence and the Duomo from here. With lovely views of the Tuscan rolling hills, its breathtaking terrace, and romantic courtyard, the castle is a unique setting for an unforgettable wedding. The owners of the castle produce their own wine that you can include in your wedding menu for an unforgettable experience.
The cozy courtyard and the gardens will create a perfect atmosphere for your wedding ceremony in the warm season. The rooms are finely furnished with antiques and XVI century paintings and there’s more! You don’t have to fear bad weather, the winter garden will provide an excellent alternative in case of rain or during the colder season.
3. Bibbione Castle (Tuscany)
This rustic yet beautiful castle is located in the heart of the Chianti region, an unmissable destination you surely won’t forget.
This castle is perfect for wedding ceremonies. It offers a panoramic terrace for weddings and aperitifs to spoil yourself and your guests with unforgettable sunsets overlooking the Chianti hills. For the wedding reception, Bibbione offers a charming courtyard and an open gallery where you can dine outside on summer evenings.
The halls of the castle are ideal for marriages performed for the winter months. You can also use the small Romanesque church of Santa Maria a Bibbione located in the castle to celebrate your wedding.
4. Odescalchi Castle (Lazio)
This majestic fortified castle is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. One of the most beautiful venues in Italy, it is located near Bracciano Lake, just one hour away from Rome.
It was used for military purposes in the past but it also has refined elegant halls and rooms, inside courts, and even a secret garden.
You can have a catholic wedding here, in the consecrated church connected to the fortress by a secret tunnel. The castle doesn’t offer accommodation but it is perfect for big wedding ceremonies being capable of hosting up to one thousand people.
5. Monaci Castle (Puglia)
This astonishing wedding location combines the charm of history with a high level of organization, to help you create a magical event in line with your personality and wishes.
It is located in Puglia, in the center of Salento, near the sea, immersed in the countryside greenery, among expanses of olive trees and vineyards.
The castle is authorized to perform civil weddings on site. Extraordinary wedding halls guarantee a unique atmosphere of your event with every kind of weather. During the summer months, you can enjoy the garden that surrounds the property and the traditional Italian experience.
6. Banfi Castle (Tuscany)
This elegant and exclusive castle is immersed in the calm of the Tuscan countryside. Banfi castle offers the best views you can get over the surrounding medieval village and its fields, vineyards, and woods.
The castle has 14 rooms and suites to accommodate you and your guests on your special day making it ideal for small weddings. This refined and elegant property can provide many halls and typical Italian alfresco spaces for your wedding, from the vast medieval halls to inside courtyards covered with greenery.
Last but not least, Banfi castle produces excellent wine, famous throughout Italy.
7. Verrazzano Castle (Tuscany)
If you are from New-York, this name won’t be new to you. Giovanni Verrazzano who was born here was also one of the first Europeans to explore the east coast of the current United States and the New York Bay that has a bridge called after him.
Located between Florence and Siena, this medieval castle is where world-renowned Chianti Classico is produced. The property has a farm restaurant that offers meals produced with raw ingredients from organic farming and an agriturismo that can be a great place to relax after a day of nature contemplation and walks through local vineyards.
The castle doesn’t have accommodation on site but it does have a farm and a vegetable garden where the owners organize dinners made from local biological food, with their own wine, oil and vinegar. This is a traditional Italian experience you and your guests will surely remember.
8. Meleto Castle (Tuscany)
This ancient fort in Gaiole in Chianti used to belong to Benedictine monks. The castle rises above fields and vineyards, with its XV century fortifications and graceful noble XVII century decor.
Many local aristocracy weddings took place here, now you can have your unique wedding ceremony in this place full of history and art.
This castle with its deconsecrated chapel and the Herb garden is perfect for symbolic weddings. You can start with an aperitif in the garden, have lunch or dinner in the castle, then you can cut the cake or dance in the former stable.
9. Belmond Casole Castle (Tuscany)
With a purely Italian restaurant with freshly baked bread, estate-grown extra virgin olive oil, and of course pasta, to the bars near the pool or the relaxing garden, this castle has a reach historical past that goes back all the way to Etruscans, whose artifacts have been found across the grounds.
With a luxury hotel immersed in the countryside, fine dining, spa, wine cellars, and surrounding cypress and olive trees, vineyards, and woods, this place is perfect if you need a break from the city to relax near a swimming pool or watching the rolling hills in a peaceful environment.
Did you find the castle of your dreams on the list? Contact me, I will be happy to tell you more about it and start creating your exclusive wedding in Italy!