Today we’re going to concentrate on one venue instead of the usual three. The venue we are visiting today is pretty special so we figured we’d like to go into a little more detail on this one. Gabe and I originally considered Italy for our wedding before our move to the States and in the initial search for venues Lindsay came across this absolute gem. Castello di Gargonza is actually an entire village that you can rent exclusively for your celebration. Guests stay in different houses and it has all the trappings of a country village, along with of course a church. How amazing would it be to have a whole village for your wedding? More details below but first some images to give you an idea.

History

Castello di Gargonza was originally a fortified village located on a hilltop in Tuscany and dates from the 14th century. The famous Italian poet Dante even spent some of his time in exile here. In the 18th century it was turned into a share cropping farm involving an amalgamation of 33 smaller farms and existed in harmony in this way for 200 years. However inhabitants abandoned the town for larger cities at the start of the Industrial Revolution, and in the 1970s the current owner began restoration of the village with a community for events in mind. A lovely touch is that the town houses now bear the names of their former owners such as Boccio, Niccolina and Argentia.

Accommodation

The village houses have been carefully restored and retain a simple rustic style that they once had with features such as steep wooden staircases and rooms excavated into rock. The accommodation ranges from small two bed apartments to a large farmhouse which can hold ten guests and a range of in between sizes. A total of 45 rooms in various houses and apartments mean weddings of guests of 90- 100 can be accommodated here.

Weddings

The venue has on site wedding planners with a good selection of services available. Catholic ceremonies can be held in our church or blessings can be organized in one of the beautiful gardens inside the village itself. A popular reception idea is to start with a cocktail in the Limonaia garden with prosecco and appetizers. Reception dinners are usually held in at the restaurant which is inside the castle building itself with a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Dinners can also be held outside at the swimming pool or in various places around the village. Below is an example of a dinner in the gardens at the pool, and underneath this is the view from the castle tower. The restaurant serves typical Tuscan cuisine with fresh homemade pasta and meat grilled in their wood burning oven.

Guest Activities

The Garden Lecceta is also available for ceremonies and receptions which overlooks the village itself. A picnic would also be a gorgeous here, either for the wedding itself or even a pre or post-wedding dinner. The planners at the village can organise a variety os activities and excursions for guests including wine tasting, hiking, cooking classes, horse-riding, mountain biking, wood walks and babysitting services.

Seasonal

The Castello is a seasonally operating venue and is closed from January 10th until March so if you are looking for a late Winter/early Spring wedding this might not be the venue for you.

Amazing right? Be sure to check out Castello di Gargonza’s website for more details if you’re interested!

The post Castello di Gargonza ✈ A Unique Wedding Venue in Italy appeared first on Fly Away Bride.