Castello di Casole stands on an estate that was settled by the Etruscans and has held a castle since 998, and today it is a Belmond hotel of 39 suites and two villas where a wedding moves between a chapel, terraces, a courtyard and an open-air amphitheatre. It is a place for couples who want a Tuscan castle with real rooms for the whole party, and a choice of settings for each part of the day.
A castle with a long memory
The land around Casole d’Elsa was inhabited some 2,500 years ago, in the time of the Etruscans, and the medieval castle at its centre dates from 998. The Bargagli family of Siena developed the estate in the nineteenth century, and the Visconti family took it on after them. The film director Luchino Visconti is remembered for the parties held here, which gave the castle a touch of cinema.
The castle became a hotel when it reopened in 2012, and it is now run by Belmond. The estate extends over 3,200 acres of nature reserve, with vineyards, olive groves and vegetable gardens, so the castle still stands inside a working Tuscan landscape.
The places to marry
There are seven event venues across the hotel, and ceremonies can be held on the lawns, on the terraces, in the chapel or in the amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is open to the air and faces the hills, and it is set up for blessings of up to 150 guests. San Tommaso Chapel is a restored stone chapel of 90 square metres with a rose window, and it takes symbolic ceremonies of up to 40.
Dinner on the terraces and in the courtyard
Receptions are laid on the terraces and in the courtyard. A banquet for up to 120 guests can be seated on the Limonaia Terrace or in the Courtyard, and cocktails for up to 120 can be served on the terraces. The Visconti Terrace looks over the hills, and the Tosca Terrace serves as a second setting for the evening.
The hotel cooks for the wedding itself. Tosca serves refined Tuscan cuisine, Castello Grill serves lunches in the open air, Emporio del Castello cooks traditional Italian dishes and Bar Visconti pours botanical cocktails. The wedding menu can be matched to any of these settings.
Casole d’Elsa and the roads to Siena and Volterra
Casole d’Elsa is a hill village in the province of Siena, in the quiet country between the Elsa valley and the Maremma. San Gimignano, Volterra and Siena are all within reach by car, so wedding guests who stay for a few days can fill the time with some of the most visited towns in Tuscany. The estate itself is large enough to keep the day private, and the nearest village is a place for a morning walk rather than a crowd.
Staying at the castle
The accommodation balances Tuscan character with modern comfort. Junior suites of 37 to 66 square metres sleep up to three, suites of 61 to 149 square metres sleep up to four, and the two Signature Villas of 250 square metres each sleep up to seven. On site are an infinity pool, a 24-hour fitness centre and the Essere Spa, set in the vaulted rooms of a former wine cellar. Country activities include truffle hunting on the estate.
One way to shape the day
A blessing in the amphitheatre or a symbolic ceremony in San Tommaso Chapel can be followed by cocktails on the terraces, a seated banquet on the Limonaia Terrace or in the Courtyard, and a late evening on the lawns. Guests staying in the castle and the villas are already home at the end of the night, and the spa, the pool and the estate give them something to do the day after. The restaurants make it easy to host a welcome dinner or a farewell lunch under the same roof.
Planning a wedding at Castello di Casole
The hotel can be taken for exclusive use for wedding parties of 26 to 150 guests, and individual spaces can be hired from about €700 for the Visconti Terrace to €4,000 for the Tosca Terrace, the San Tommaso Chapel or the Courtyard, with VAT included. Ask for the exact numbers for each space on your date, because they change with the layout. It also helps to ask what the set-up costs, when the music must finish and how many rooms the wedding party can reserve. Florence is about an hour away by car and Siena about 40 minutes.
A castle wedding in the Tuscan hills
Castello di Casole suits a couple who want a medieval castle with a chapel, an amphitheatre and the comforts of a Belmond hotel, in country that is still farmed. Check your date through the Castello di Casole page on 5 Star Weddings, or look at more wedding venues in Italy.
