The walls of Lucca, which the city built between 1544 and 1650, are younger than Villa Hugo, a house that traces its origins to the thirteenth century and stands about five kilometres from them. It is let to one wedding party at a time. The whole estate, with five suites for up to ten overnight guests, a saltwater pool and more than 6,000 square metres of gardens among olive trees, belongs to the couple for the duration of the celebration.
A house older than the walls
The Trebilani, a noble Lucchese family, owned the villa for centuries. The present owners’ great-grandfather bought it from them between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the family has looked after it since; it still lives in a private wing of the estate that is structurally independent of the rest. The house keeps eighteenth-century frescoes, historic floors and large medieval beams, and more than 500 square metres of it is indoor space. One detail is the mandolata, a brick wall laid in a lattice pattern, of the kind used on Tuscan barns to let air through; at Villa Hugo it has been restored as a decorative feature.
The twentieth century left its own mark. During the Second World War the property served as a command post for American forces on the Gothic Line.
One wedding at a time
Reserving the villa means reserving all of it: the five suites, the saltwater pool and gardens, the covered terrace and the indoor event space. The event organisation fee covers sole management of those spaces and a venue manager. Villa Hugo is reserved for one group of guests only. Rooms are not let singly, and no other guests stay during the visit, so a wedding here has the whole estate to itself, with freedom to personalise the celebration across the house and grounds. The owners’ family lives in a private wing that is structurally independent of the guest areas. Guests arriving by car find a large private open car park on the estate, and a helicopter landing area is available on request.
Ceremonies in the garden and in the chapel
Civil ceremonies are held in the private gardens, with the villa as the backdrop and the old olive trees close by. A seventeenth-century chapel stands within the estate and is available for religious ceremonies. Italian ceremony rules depend on the kind of ceremony and the couple’s nationalities, so ask the villa what can be registered on site, in the garden and in the chapel, before fixing a date.
Couples can organise each stage of the day in a different part of the property: the ceremony, the welcome drinks, the reception and the evening. Wedding planners, caterers, florists, photographers, videographers, musicians, make-up artists and private chefs all work with the villa.
Drinks, dinner and the weather plan
Drinks receptions can be set in the gardens, the olive grove, the veranda, the barbecue area or the indoor lounges, and sunset aperitifs take place in the gardens. Lunches, dinners and evening celebrations are held in the gardens and other outdoor areas. If the weather turns, the historic rooms indoors take receptions of up to 75 guests, and for larger weddings an outdoor marquee can be arranged in the grounds.
Catering is by your own caterer, with preferred suppliers. The villa quotes an event organisation fee of 2,500 euros per event, on top of the stay, covering sole management of the spaces and a venue manager. That figure is worth checking when you enquire.
The pool, the terrace and the table
The 72 square metre saltwater pool has a hydromassage area and is reserved for the villa’s guests. The covered veranda looks over the garden, with a wood-fired oven, a tasting room and a firepit lounge nearby; indoors there is a fitted kitchen, a dining room and a sitting room. Private chefs, wine and oil tastings and cooking classes can be arranged on request.
The gardens hold fruit trees, old olive trees and aromatic herbs, and the estate has photovoltaic panels and wood-fired heating.
Where guests sleep
There are five double suites, each with a private bathroom, and together they sleep up to ten guests. Each is named for a flower and has its own character. Suite Lavanda is the largest, with ceilings more than five metres high, original floors and colours taken from historic Lucchese tones. Suite Camelia keeps a large original thirteenth century beam and has a view over the grounds. Suite Magnolia has historic arches and the villa’s most spacious bathroom, with a large bath.
Suite Mimosa is an intimate, bright room in Tuscan greens, with original floors from the 1940s and 1950s. Suite Rosa is the smallest and most contemporary, with a quieter, more private feel. Other wedding guests stay in nearby villas and partner hotels that the villa suggests.
Lucca, Pisa and the coast
Lucca is about five kilometres away, nine minutes by car, and the villa lends e-bikes by arrangement for the ride in. The city’s Renaissance walls, about 4.2 kilometres round, carry a tree-lined promenade. Pisa International Airport is about 32 kilometres away and Florence Airport about 60. The coast at Viareggio is about 25 kilometres, Forte dei Marmi about 30, and the hills around Montecarlo, known for their wine, about 15. Florence is about 75 kilometres. A private area on the estate can take helicopters, on request and subject to operating conditions.
Planning a wedding here
The villa is booked as a whole, so dates are held for one party, and the minimum stay varies with the season. Ask the villa for the guest numbers it will take outdoors for the ceremony and the dinner, and for the indoor and marquee arrangements if you expect more than 75. Wedding guests beyond the ten who sleep on site need rooms elsewhere, so settle transport between those hotels and the villa early. Ask which caterers the villa prefers, and whether your own planner can work alongside its venue manager.
A house for couples who want it to themselves
Villa Hugo suits couples who want an old house to themselves, with a small group staying under its roof and a larger party arriving for the day. The principal planning consideration is the split between the ten who sleep on the estate and everyone else, and the weather plan for a larger guest list: indoor receptions take up to 75, and beyond that the marquee becomes part of the plan. Couples who want a wedding rooted in a place, with frescoes, brick and old olive trees close by, will find that here; those who need on-site rooms for a large party will look elsewhere.
Check your date
Ask Villa Hugo whether your date is free before you book travel. For more of the area, read about weddings around Lucca and Pisa and in Tuscany, or the Tuscany Wedding Atlas.
