Catholic Ceremony
Tuscany is the ideal location for celebrating a Catholic wedding.
The Tuscan churches are among the most antique a beautiful in the world: the choice is yours, from a majestic city cathedral to a tiny and intimate chapel in the countryside.
The historical and artistic importance of its inhabited centres, from Florence to the small villages, and the typical hilly landscape with rows of trees as far as the eye can see, make this region the ideal setting for unforgettable religious weddings.
Tuscany offers infinite settings for a romantic wedding.
Catholic wedding: how it works
Italian law establishes that the marriage can be religious, civil, or religious with civil validity.
As far as the Catholic rites are concerned, it is essential that the couple has been baptized and confirmed for the wedding to take place. Therefore, it is necessary to get the relevant documents of baptism, communion, and confirmation from the relevant parishes.
This procedure is valid for both Italians and foreigners who wish to marry religiously in Italy.
If a member of the couple has been previously married by a Catholic ceremony, the new marriage cannot take place.
It is also possible to get married civilly in one’s own country and then religiously in Italy; it is sufficient to present a copy of the marriage certificate to the ecclesiastical authorities.
There are also no problems if you wish to have a legally recognized Catholic marriage in Italy; the priest celebrates the religious and the civil union, and the State recognizes its validity.
No complications with language, because the Mass can also be officiated in that of the spouses’ country of origin.
Allow plenty of time and try to arrive in Italy a few days before the wedding date, so that the registrar has time to check the documentation, complete the necessary paperwork and make sure the procedure is carried out correctly.
The documents expire six months after their release.
Once you have completed the above formalities, all you have to do is enjoy the most important day of your life in one of the most welcoming and famous places on the planet.
Where to celebrate the Catholic wedding in Tuscany
As for the Catholic church in which to celebrate their marriage, Tuscany is spoilt for choice.
It could not be otherwise in a land soaked in a complex and secular history as this region of central Italy is.
Starting from Florence, it is worth noting the Church of San Salvatore in Borgo Ognissanti, overlooking the square of the same name, nested in a nerve center of the city.
In addition to the structure, original for its mixture of Franciscan and Baroque, the building is particularly suggestive for the art and memory that it preserves.
You rest in admiration in front of the wooden Crucifix by Giotto and the Cenacle of Ghirlandaio located in the Refettorio, but also profoundly moved in front of the Chapel of the Vespucci family, that of the navigator Amerigo.
The beautiful Simonetta is buried here, the muse of poets and painters, and Sandro Botticelli, who portrayed her in many of his works and made her an immortal and insuperable Primavera.
Among the many and beautiful Florentine churches, Ognissanti does not belong to those invaded daily by tourists, but it is one of the most intimate, and therefore ideal for a wedding dedicated to refinement and sobriety.
The American Episcopal Church of Saint James, in front of the Orti Oricellari, is instead, the main point of reference for Americans in Florence.
Currently, it is also the favorite church of the Chinese and Japanese in which to get married.
Although its construction dates back only a little over a hundred years ago, the English neo-Gothic style, the porch and the crenelated towers, and the mullioned travertine windows give it an atmosphere of other times and difficult to find in buildings of the same era.
The beautiful stained-glass windows that let natural light enter the nave contribute to making the entrance, and the journey of the bride towards the altar, a memorable moment.
The area surrounding Florence is also full of fascinating Catholic churches.
Among these are the Basilica of Pieve di San Giuliano in Scandicci, the Pieve of Sant’Appiano Barberia Val d’Elsa and Santa Maria di Loreto in Palazzolo, with its enchanting and striking façade that stands out in the lush green of the surrounding countryside.
Just outside Cortona, a typical village in the province of Arezzo, is Santa Maria Nuova, one of the most famous churches for weddings.
It is, in effect, a particular and decidedly engaging sacred building, both for the Greek cross plan surmounted by a dome at the crossing point, as for the pleasant rural landscape that surrounds it.
The area around Siena is also renowned for its beauty and every year many couples, including those from abroad, choose this place for their wedding day.
In Asciano, one finds the church of Santa Maria, which for the number of works of art preserved in it, and for its historical value, is one of the most important monuments in Tuscany, and Sant’Agata, a charming building of the Byzantine era.
Montepulciano is another centre among the most coveted by couples, also because of the numerous and spectacular churches that animate it.
It is worth noting at least Sant’Agnese, whose bare facade still preserves the fourteenth-century portal, the seventeenth-century S. Lucia with its vibrant Baroque façade, the eighteenth-century Chiesa del Gesù, the late-Renaissance St. Biagio with a Greek cross plan and the medieval S. Agostino.
Still in the province of Siena is San Gimignano, an intact medieval jewel perfect for a fairytale wedding.
It seems that time has stopped here and walking along the narrow streets of the village, admiring the tall towers and the facades of the centuries-old buildings, creates an emotion that is difficult to find in other places.
San Gimignano is also famous for its churches, all ideal locations for truly unforgettable religious weddings.
The Duomo is at the disposal of lovers and also the Church of S. Agostino, where it is possible to admire the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli and the terracotta floor by Andrea Della Robbia.
Pienza is one of the most famous and influential towns of the Val d’Orcia from an artistic point of view.
It is no coincidence that so many fiancés decide to exchange wedding rings in one of its churches: ancient and original, they are the best settings for a ceremony that is both prestigious and intimate.
The large cathedral is one of the major attractions of the city.
Fifteenth century, with a sloping roof and central rose window, it dazzles the visitor with its bright travertine façade.
Those who prefer the unadorned style of medieval churches will undoubtedly find the Romanesque S. Vito e Modesto, dating back to the 11th-12th centuries, to their liking.
Inside, the baptismal font in which Pope Pius II was baptized is perfectly preserved.
Why celebrate a Catholic marriage in Tuscany?
Why choose Tuscany to celebrate your Catholic wedding?
The reasons are, we could say, infinite or almost.
Tuscany is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world from the historical, artistic, architectural and landscape point of view, and this guarantees that it can offer wedding locations suitable for any taste and need.
Each of us wants the day of “I do” to be perfect, whose memory will be kept in the heart forever, for this reason we do everything so that it can take place not only smoothly, but also in a location that no one will ever forget: the enchanted atmospheres of Tuscany will be imprinted in the soul.
