Previously an ancient monastery dating back to the 1100's, La Preghiera has been carefully and lovingly restored to a luxurious and elegant country house, nestling in private gardens perfumed with extensive banks of rosemary, lavender and thyme with views of open fields and woodland hills through the olive grove.
In the Monastery there are 9 bedrooms, each en-suite with marble-clad bathrooms, with a further 2 en-suite bedrooms in Villa Moscatelli, in the grounds of the Estate. Furnished to the highest standard, with terracotta flooring throughout, ancient oak and chestnut beams, antique and hand-painted furniture, art deco silverware, and warm memorabilia, an international collection spanning over three decades of travel by the owners ....
Situated within walking distance to the village of Calzolaro, close to Umbertide and Cittą di Castello, in the Upper Tiber Valley, just over the border from Tuscany and Cortona, and near Perugia, La Preghiera is in the midst of Umbria's many walled medieval villages and towns, in the land of saints, poets, and painters, Saint Francis of Assisi, Michelangelo of Caprese, and Raffaello of Cittį di Castello.
Guests at this exclusive retreat have a choice of wedding ceremony styles, where services can be arranged in English or other languages. The Oratorio can seat up to sixty guests. Other symbolic ceremonies and blessings of unions are also encouraged, using the garden, the Oratorio or the monastery itself, as a place of reunion, or meditation, without inference to any specific religion...
Alternatively, a civil wedding ceremony can take place in a local Comune (Town Hall) followed by a reception held in the gardens, by the pool, on the loggia or in the elegant dining room at La Preghiera afterwards.
For your special celebration, you may request a guest a cappella choir or soloist to sing during your ceremony at La Preghiera with a repertoire including medieval and baroque periods, classic, opera, aria antiche, soul, gospel or traditional folklore... You may prefer a harpist, a string quartet or a digital piano
La Preghiera can be rented in exclusivity, for a three night stay (or longer periods if required), to accommodate small wedding parties of twenty-two persons at a special wedding tariff.
On the wedding night, the bridal room is filled with soft candlelight, rose petals are scattered on the bed and a bottle of chilled Prosecco awaits the wedding couple .
If your party exceeds twenty-two, we can arrange for some of your guests to stay in nearby Agriturismo known to us, a combination of very good quality accommodation in restored old farmhouses on agricultural land who have an agreement with La Preghiera to waive weekly accommodation schedules for short stay wedding parties from La Preghiera.
Special requirements will be considered and best endeavours to fulfil them will be taken including expert photographic service, musicians, special cars, table decorations, favours (bomboniere), wedding cake, flower decorations, and a bridal bouquet can all be organised on request. Please apply for details.