Recently brought back from ruins, idyllic Celleno is just outside of Rome.
Ever dreamt of tying the knot in a bucolic, magical spot in Italy far from the madding crowd-possibly in an isolated castle or a lavish Renaissance palazzo? Well, now there’s something even better. And it’s incredibly cheap.
For just €200 ($231) you can book the entire ghost village of Celleno, just a few miles north of Rome, for a fairy-tale like wedding. Renovated and revitalized in 2018 after more than half a century of neglect, Celleno is a secret gem located in the pristine Tiber Valley, with spectacular views of the Roman countryside and a medieval vibe. It rises atop a rocky spur surrounded by a deep chasm overlooking a dark forest cut across by two small rivers. Bright olive groves, chestnut trees, and vineyards dot the landscape.
The hamlet consists of winding narrow alleys and reddish-golden rock homes cropped at the feet of an overhanging medieval castle, which once upon a time served as a fortified military stronghold. Some buildings have been given a complete makeover, while others are still semi-ruins.
Old vegetation grows across the walls of the village–though it could have been removed, restaurateurs wanted it to remain and give the place a more dreamy setting. But the main piazza, with its shiny perfect cobblestones, has been perfectly brought back to life as if a movie set. This is where the wedding celebrations and evening aperitivo are held after the official ritual, right outside the chapel.
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Mayor Luca Beraldo is hell-bent on promoting his ghost village for anniversaries, birthdays, and weddings, keen to particularly lure foreign couples looking to tie the knot in a unique, unusual setting. He is so proud that public funds have gone into recovering what was once a bunch of ruins following a series of quakes in the 1900s that sent locals running for their lives.
“To book the hamlet, we’re asking for what really is just a little donation, €1 ($1.16) per person for a total of 200 guests, which is the maximum capacity of the old district’s piazza and chapel where the ritual can be celebrated,” said Beraldo.
The couple would have at their disposal the near entirety of the ghost village, barring a few buildings of private property belonging to the family of an Italian artist who years ago took up residency in the forsaken village.
And if the couple want, adds the mayor, even a priest or a civil servant would be available to perform the ritual inside the main frescoed chapel, which is incredibly well-preserved.
Catering and other nuptial services aren’t included in the €200 cost, of course, but the town-hall is happy to liaise with local wedding planners and catering businesses in the area to make the event a blast.
Beraldo says dozens of couples have already tied the knot among the ancient walls of Celleno, an offbeat place which remains unknown even to most Romans, let alone to other Italians.
The only catch to this amazing party opportunity is there might be a necessary dress codeFormal, long dresses and high heels are discouraged for both bride and guests as the only way to reach Celleno’s old district is by foot. A pair of white sparkling sneakers, or even going barefoot to the altar, might serve the purpose better and be more romantic.
The ghost village is in fact connected to the “new” Celleno, which is located nearby, and the main route by a winding, uphill cobble pathway is off-limits to car. The new town, where barely 1,200 people live today and where bars and taverns are located, was built in 1951 when then Italian president Luigi Einaudi decreed that the ancient town, in precarious conditions after the 1930s earthquakes, was no longer fit to be inhabited. All families were transferred a mile downhill to live safer lives in more modern and stable homes.
Old Celleno thus fell into oblivion for decades, wild lush jungle-like plants and trees grew over the abandoned homes, making those left standing prone to collapse. Then in 2018, the reconstruction phase kicked-in to bring Celleno back from the grave and to its former glory.
There is an old-timey ambiance, strolling across the deserted and quiet village—it’s like stepping back in time.
While tourists flock to the nearby, similar ghost town of Civita di Bagnoreggio (dubbed the “dying city” about to collapse) for selfies on a wobbly bridge above a precipice, nobody visits Celleno which is just as enchanting than Civita, if not even more.
The ghost village dates back to pre-Roman times and it is said that the ancient Italic tribe of the Etruscans built it before being wiped out by imperial Rome. Ruins of catacombs dot the nearby woods. Roman armies later used the village as a military lookout post against enemy troops and invasions, thanks to the strategic hilltop location of Celleno. In time that unique location, perched atop a ragged cliff shaped like a huge rocky shard, became more of a liability. While it was a means of protection in the old days, in modern times the fragile structure of the landscape and homes made of porous rock, cut right from the cliff, was no match for the quakes that rocked Celleno in the past centuries. But today, thanks to a solid reconstruction of the entire ghost hamlet, all locations have been made safe.
For a song you can have the wedding of your dreams in the old, authentic heart of Celleno, far from the crowds of Rome, Venice, or Florence.