Italy · Val d’Orcia, Tuscany · Venue guide
A Wedding at La Foce, Val d’Orcia
Of all the places I have filmed in Italy, few compare to La Foce. The estate stands on the hills above the Val d’Orcia, looking out over the rolling landscape towards Monte Amiata, with one of the most beautiful gardens in Tuscany at its heart. Gary and Cécile married here in September 2021 – a Jewish ceremony under a chuppah of flowers in the garden, a candlelit dinner outdoors and a party that went on long into the night.
- Where
- Chianciano Terme, above the Val d’Orcia in southern Tuscany
- Famous for
- Cecil Pinsent’s gardens and Iris Origo’s story
- Stay
- Houses on the estate, from apartments to farmhouses with pools
- Getting there
- About 2 hours from Florence, 3 from Rome
The story of La Foce
The villa was built in the late 15th century as a hostel for pilgrims and merchants on the Via Francigena. In 1924 it was bought by Antonio and Iris Origo, who spent their lives bringing the estate and the valley back to life; Iris later wrote about the war years here in her famous diary, War in Val d’Orcia. The family still owns La Foce today.
The garden was created for the Origos by the English architect Cecil Pinsent between 1925 and 1939: green “rooms” of box hedges with lemon trees in pots, a rose garden, a wisteria pergola edged with lavender and terraces of cypress and rosemary that melt into the wild hillside. From the garden you can see the famous zig-zag road lined with cypresses winding up the opposite hill.
A wedding in the gardens
La Foce hosts weddings and celebrations in the villa and its gardens, with Tuscan food made with produce from the farm. Gary and Cécile’s ceremony took place under a chuppah of flowers among the box hedges of the garden; as the sun went down the guests moved to long candlelit tables, and the evening ended with live music and dancing. The design and production were by Design Anarchy, who turned the estate into a dream.
Where guests stay
The estate rents its own houses – from small apartments to free-standing farmhouses, all with pools and gardens – so a wedding party can stay on the land. The hill towns of Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino, home of Brunello, are a short drive away for the days around the wedding.
Getting there and the best season
Drive via the A1 motorway to the Chiusi–Chianciano Terme exit, or take the train to Chiusi. From Florence it is about two hours, from Rome about three. May, June and September bring the softest light and the greenest hills; I love to film the portraits in the last hour before sunset, when the whole valley turns gold.
In Italy a civil marriage is celebrated by the comune, so ask your planner about the legal ceremony. More about weddings in Tuscany.
Planning your wedding at La Foce?
Tell me your date and place – I’ll let you know if I’m free.
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