Exploring Villa Durazzo, Italian Riviera & Portofino

If you have ever dreamed of a classic – and classy – wedding in Italy, in a stunning location surrounded by local history, exquisite nature and pastel blue sea, then Villa Durazzo has it all !

Only a few miles from the opulence of Portofino, Villa Durazzo is, in my opinion, one of the most enchanting places where to get married along the Italian Riviera.

Encompassed by a Mediterranean Park, home to numerous aromatic and exotic plants, Villa Durazzo is a complex of three separate estates overlooking the coastal town of Santa Margherita Ligure…a perfectly secluded location from where you can relax and tune in with nature while enjoying the amazing views on the Gulf and the picturesque town’s harbour.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the mansion while attending one of their Summer events and I was captivated by its beauty, inside and out.

Villa Durazzo’s heritage dates back to 17th Century. The main Villa was built by Gio’ Luca Durazzo on the old castle ruins inherited by his father the Marquis Gerolamo Durazzo, but it was later on, under Princes Centurione’s Family, that the other cottages were built. The Centuriones also embellished the gardens with marble statues, fountains and elegant floral beds.
The beautiful Villa’s interiors are decorated with frescoes, Genoese paintings from the XVII Century, elegant Murano Chandeliers and antique furniture from different eras, that can be still admired today in well-preserved conditions.

Here you will have plenty of choices where to celebrate your wedding in the most romantic of ways, from the neoclassical Italian Gardens, the beautifully decorated rooms inside, the black and white cobbling on the Villa’s Terrace, or you can choose to have a Catholic ceremony at the adjacent Baroque Church of San Giacomo.

Daniela and Fiorinda, who have helped many foreign couples to get married here, will be warmly welcome and guide you through all the options, to grant yourselves and guests with an unforgettable wedding day.

I hope you have enjoyed my glimpse of Villa Durazzo’s images and its romantic surroundings…could you smell the roses and lemon trees?