Getting Married at Castello di Titignano: Catholic Destination Wedding in Umbria, Italy
A Medieval Village Rising from the Umbrian Hills
The approach to Castello di Titignano holds a secret. As you wind through olive groves and vineyards on narrow country roads, the castle remains hidden, tucked behind the green folds of the landscape. Then, suddenly, you arrive at ancient stone walls, and the entire medieval village opens before you. Dating to 937, this fortified hamlet sits on a hilltop between two of Umbria’s most beautiful towns, Orvieto and Todi, with sweeping views toward Lake Corbara and the valley below.
Unlike the crowded piazzas of Tuscany’s better-known destinations, Titignano feels genuinely removed from the world. The entire village can be yours for your celebration. For Catholic couples seeking an authentic Italian wedding experience without the tourist masses, this hidden corner of Umbria offers something increasingly rare: a consecrated chapel within the castle walls, guest accommodations for up to 130 people on-site, and the kind of unhurried beauty that allows a wedding to feel truly sacred.
The Catholic Wedding Advantage: Your Ceremony and Celebration in One Place
The presence of an ancient consecrated chapel at Castello di Titignano changes everything for Catholic couples planning a destination wedding. Rather than coordinating between a distant parish church and your reception venue, your entire wedding day unfolds within the castle walls.
The chapel requires permission from the local bishopric, which means couples must work through the standard Catholic marriage preparation process for weddings in Italy. Depending on diocesan approval and whether both parties are Catholic, you may celebrate a wedding rite outside of Mass or a full Nuptial Mass. The timeline for securing permissions typically runs several months, so early planning is essential.
What makes Titignano particularly valuable is how this arrangement simplifies logistics for you and your guests. No one needs to drive between locations. The ceremony flows naturally into cocktails in the village square, then dinner in the frescoed hall or on the terrace. Your photographer captures moments in one cohesive setting. Elderly relatives and guests with mobility concerns appreciate the convenience.
The chapel itself reflects the castle’s medieval character: simple stone architecture, an atmosphere of contemplation, and space that directs attention to the sacrament rather than elaborate decoration. Couples who appreciate restraint and reverence, who want the liturgy and sacred music to take center stage, find this chapel ideal. It seats a more intimate gathering, which suits destination weddings where guest counts typically range from 40 to 120 people.
Location and Getting There: Between Umbria’s Most Beautiful Towns
Castello di Titignano occupies a strategic position in southwestern Umbria, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car from both Orvieto and Todi. This puts you in the heart of a region Americans and Brits often overlook in favor of Tuscany, yet offers similar landscape beauty, exceptional food and wine, and significantly fewer crowds.
From Major Airports: Perugia Airport (Sant’Egidio) is the closest at 39 miles, roughly a 57-minute drive. This regional airport handles flights from several European cities. Rome’s Fiumicino Airport sits about 90 minutes away and offers the most international connections, particularly for travelers from the United States and United Kingdom. Florence is also reachable, though the drive takes closer to two hours.
Most couples arrange private car service or rental cars for guests. The roads through Umbria are scenic but rural, with the final approach to Titignano winding through farmland and forest. This remoteness is part of the appeal, but it does mean guests need clear directions and ideally should arrive during daylight hours.
The castle’s position between Orvieto and Todi means guests can easily explore both towns during a long wedding weekend. Orvieto is famous for its cathedral and underground Etruscan city. Todi offers medieval charm and stunning hilltop views. This gives your wedding celebration built-in activities for guests arriving early or staying after the festivities.
The Venue Itself: A Working Medieval Village
Castello di Titignano is not a restored ruin turned event space. It’s a living medieval village, complete with stone houses, a central piazza, ancient walls, and buildings that date back over a thousand years. The Montemarte family of French origin built the original castle in 937, and the structures have been carefully preserved while incorporating modern amenities.
The main reception hall features cross-vaulted ceilings and original frescoes, seating up to 120 guests for a formal dinner. The village square serves as the natural gathering point for cocktail hour, with ample space for 200 guests to mingle. Stone walls and archways create intimate corners, while the elevated position offers continuous views of the Umbrian countryside.
The aesthetic here is authentically rustic. Floors are stone or tile. Walls are thick medieval masonry. Lighting comes from wrought iron fixtures. This is not the place for couples wanting sleek modern design or dramatic floral installations, though certainly you can bring in décor. Rather, the architecture itself provides the beauty, and most couples find they need minimal additional styling.
The estate includes vineyards that produce the castle’s own wines (red, white, and rosé), olive groves, a panoramic swimming pool, tennis courts, and a five-a-side football field. Gardens and terraces offer multiple ceremony locations if you choose a symbolic or civil ceremony outdoors, though the consecrated chapel remains the draw for Catholic couples.
Because the entire village is available for exclusive use, your wedding party and guests essentially take over the space. Children can run safely within the walls. Adults can wander between the pool, the wine cellar, and various lounging areas. The privacy and immersion create a wedding weekend rather than just a wedding day.
Where Everyone Stays: Rooms for 130 Guests On-Site
One of Titignano’s strongest practical advantages is its accommodation capacity. The castle offers 45 rooms and apartments that sleep up to 130 guests. This means the vast majority of your wedding party, family, and friends can stay right where the celebration happens.
Rooms range from standard doubles to larger apartments with kitchenettes. All include private bathrooms, and many have been updated with modern comforts while maintaining historical character. Some units have private entrances. The furnishings lean traditional and simple rather than luxurious, but guests consistently praise the cleanliness and the views.
For couples hosting 60 to 110 guests, the math works beautifully. Everyone stays together, which builds the sense of celebration and community. No one worries about driving after the reception. Morning-after breakfast becomes a relaxed gathering rather than scattered goodbyes. Older relatives appreciate not having to navigate unfamiliar roads or check into a separate hotel.
If your guest count exceeds 130, or if some guests prefer different accommodation styles, both Orvieto and Todi offer hotel options 20 to 30 minutes away. The nearby countryside also has agriturismi (farm stays) that provide a charming alternative. However, for most destination weddings, having everyone under one roof at the castle simplifies logistics enormously.
The on-site accommodation also supports multi-day celebrations, which have become the norm for destination weddings. Friday welcome dinners, Saturday weddings, and Sunday pool parties or farewell brunches all happen without anyone packing up and moving locations.
The Guest Experience: Umbria Beyond Your Wedding Day
Your guests are traveling thousands of miles and taking vacation days. They want more than just your wedding, they want an experience. Titignano’s location delivers this naturally.
Orvieto (20-30 minutes) sits atop a volcanic cliff and offers one of Italy’s most spectacular cathedrals, the Duomo, with its black and white striped façade and Signorelli frescoes that inspired Michelangelo. The underground city carved into the tufa rock includes Etruscan tunnels, medieval cellars, and wells. St. Patrick’s Well, a Renaissance engineering marvel, descends 175 feet with a double-helix staircase. The town produces famous Orvieto Classico white wine, and the historic center offers ceramic shops, wine bars, and trattorias.
Todi (20-30 minutes in the opposite direction) crowns its own hill with Romanesque and Gothic architecture, including an impressive cathedral and the Palazzo del Popolo, one of Italy’s oldest communal palaces. The town feels less touristed than Orvieto and offers beautiful piazzas for afternoon aperitivo.
Civita di Bagnoregio (20 km away, just across the border in Lazio) makes an unforgettable day trip. Known as “the dying town,” this 2,500-year-old village sits on eroding volcanic rock and is accessible only by a dramatic pedestrian bridge. The views, the sense of stepping back in time, and the few small restaurants carved into tufa caves make this a highlight for many guests.
Wine enthusiasts can explore the Sagrantino di Montefalco wine region or arrange tastings at estates around Lake Corbara. The castle itself produces wine and can arrange tastings. Foodie guests might venture to Norcia (about an hour away) for its legendary prosciutto and truffle products, or simply enjoy the local restaurants serving pasta alla norcina, porchetta, and other Umbrian specialties.
The landscape itself invites leisurely drives through olive groves and vineyards, stops in medieval hilltowns, and a pace of life that feels genuinely Italian rather than curated for tourists.
Reception and Celebrations: Indoor Elegance and Outdoor Romance
Castello di Titignano offers flexibility for your reception while maintaining the medieval character that defines the space. The main hall with its vaulted ceilings and frescoes seats 120 for a formal dinner. For larger groups up to 200, the village square and terraces accommodate outdoor dining, with the castle as your backdrop and Lake Corbara views stretching into the distance.
The castle’s staff can handle all catering and service, or they work with outside wedding planners and vendors you bring in. The cuisine emphasizes Umbrian traditions: handmade pastas, locally raised meats, truffles, pecorino cheese, estate wines, and olive oil. Multi-course Italian wedding dinners here typically run seven to nine courses, a glorious abundance that European weddings embrace.
Music is permitted outdoors until midnight and indoors until early morning, which gives you options for where and how your celebration unfolds. The stone square naturally creates an intimate dance floor under the stars, while the interior hall offers a more formal ballroom atmosphere.
Weather Contingency: This is always the concern with destination weddings, and castles handle it particularly well. If weather turns, your entire celebration simply moves indoors. The hall accommodates dinner. The covered stone archways and porticos provide sheltered space for cocktails. The atmosphere remains romantic whether you’re dancing under stars or vaulted ceilings.
The castle’s pool area offers a beautiful setting for welcome dinners or day-after pool parties. The surrounding grounds include garden spaces for smaller ceremonies or intimate gatherings. Having the entire village means you can design your celebration across multiple spaces and moments rather than confining everything to one room.
Umbrian Food and Wine: Truffles, Porchetta, and Estate Vintages
Umbria produces some of Italy’s most distinctive food and wine, often overshadowed by Tuscan cuisine but equally exceptional. What sets Umbrian cooking apart is its emphasis on local ingredients, artisanal production, and traditions that date to Etruscan times.
Truffles reign supreme here. While Piedmont is famous for white truffles, Umbria produces more black truffles than anywhere else in Italy. The season runs October through March, making fall and winter weddings particularly special. Expect truffles shaved over pasta, folded into omelets, blended into pecorino cheese, and featured in nearly every savory course.
Pork products from Norcia, about an hour away, are legendary. Prosciutto di Norcia is darker and more savory than Parma’s sweeter version. Porchetta (whole roast suckling pig stuffed with fennel and herbs) appears at markets and celebrations. Pasta alla norcina combines sausage, cream, and often truffles in Umbria’s signature pasta dish.
The castle’s estate produces its own wines, giving you the option to serve wine literally made on the property. The broader Umbrian wine region offers Orvieto Classico whites (crisp and dry, perfect for antipasti), Sagrantino di Montefalco reds (bold and tannic, one of Italy’s most age-worthy wines), and Grechetto whites from Todi.
Your wedding menu might include strangozzi pasta with black truffles, porchetta with roasted potatoes, Castelluccio lentils (considered Italy’s finest), local pecorino and ricotta cheeses, and seasonal vegetables. The food feels both rustic and refined, exactly what guests hope for from an Italian wedding feast.
Navigating the Catholic Wedding Process in Italy
For American and British couples, the Catholic marriage process in Italy requires patience, clear communication, and early planning. The timeline typically runs four to six months minimum, sometimes longer depending on your home diocese and the Italian parish.
Required Documents Generally Include: Recent baptismal certificates (issued within six months of your wedding), confirmation certificates, letters of freedom to marry from your home parish, pre-marriage counseling completion (which you may do at home or in Italy), and civil documents that vary by situation (divorce decrees if applicable, death certificates if widowed).
The Process: Your home parish must communicate with the Italian parish responsible for Titignano’s chapel. All documents require official translation into Italian. The local bishop must grant permission for the ceremony. If you’re marrying a non-Catholic, additional permissions may be needed.
Working with Professionals: Most couples hire a wedding planner experienced with Catholic weddings in Italy, or they work with services that specialize in navigating Italian Catholic marriage requirements. The language barrier and bureaucratic complexity make professional help worthwhile. Titignano’s staff can point you toward coordinators familiar with their chapel and local diocese.
Timeline: Begin the process at least six months before your wedding date, ideally longer. Some dioceses move slowly. Documents get delayed. Translation takes time. Building buffer into your timeline prevents last-minute panic.
The good news is that once permissions are secured, the ceremony itself follows the familiar Catholic wedding rite, whether you choose the full Mass or the ceremony outside of Mass. You can work with the priest on readings, music, and personalization within the liturgical framework.
Why This Hidden Corner of Italy Deserves Your Attention
Umbria offers what drew you to Italy in the first place: rolling hills, medieval villages, exceptional food and wine, artistic treasures, and a pace of life that feels genuinely Italian. What it doesn’t offer is the tour buses, inflated prices, and overwhelmed infrastructure of Tuscany’s most famous destinations or the Amalfi Coast.
This matters for weddings. Your guests experience authentic Italy rather than tourist Italy. Prices remain more reasonable for everything from accommodation to wine to restaurant meals. The locals are genuinely welcoming rather than weary of foreigners. The landscape photographs beautifully without needing to edit out crowds.
The region’s deep Catholic heritage, from St. Francis of Assisi to Norcia to countless medieval churches and monasteries, creates an atmosphere that supports the sacramental nature of your wedding. This isn’t incidental; it’s woven into the culture and landscape in ways that feel different from more secularized or touristy regions.
For couples who want their wedding to feel like a pilgrimage rather than a party, who value meaning over spectacle, Umbria’s character aligns beautifully with that intention.
Is Castello di Titignano Right for You?
This venue suits couples who want:
- A consecrated chapel and Catholic ceremony on-site
- Authentic medieval architecture and atmosphere
- Guest accommodation for 60-130 people in one location
- Privacy and exclusive use of the entire venue
- Umbrian food, wine, and culture at the center of the celebration
- A hidden gem rather than an Instagram-famous backdrop
- Natural beauty without over-stylization
It may not suit couples looking for:
- Ultra-modern or minimalist aesthetics
- Beach or coastal settings
- Venues within major cities
- Luxury hotel-level amenities
- Easy accessibility for guests with very limited mobility (though accommodations can be made)
Final Practical Notes
Castello di Titignano represents the kind of venue that makes destination Catholic weddings work beautifully: everything you need in one place, genuine Italian character, and a setting that honors both celebration and sacrament. The castle’s relative obscurity is part of its charm. You won’t find it overcrowded with weddings every weekend. Your guests won’t feel like they’ve seen it a hundred times on social media.
This guide provides an overview based on publicly available information and general knowledge of Catholic weddings in Italy. Specific details about capacity, permissions, timing, and requirements should always be confirmed directly with the venue and the local diocese. Wedding planning timelines, vendor options, and costs can vary significantly.
For couples drawn to Umbria’s beauty and wanting expert guidance navigating the process of planning a Catholic destination wedding in this region, working with a professional familiar with both the venues and the Church requirements can make the difference between a stressful experience and a joyful one.