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| Wedding Plans | |||
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June 8, 2001 |
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| Santa Margherita/Portofino Wedding Transportation Your Italian Holiday Italy 101 |
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| Ceremony and Reception | ||||
Our wedding mass and reception will take place at the ancient monastery of
San Girolamo at the Desert, a very
holy and historic place founded by the Benedictine monks in 1364. The Abbey of the Cervara, as it is now known, is situated on a rocky outcrop
on the coastal road from Santa Margherita Ligure to
Portofino. The
secluded grounds of the Abbey offer gorgeous vistas out over the Gulf of
Tigullio,
terazzas covered with ancient wisteria, and a perfect Italian Renaissance
garden of evergreen hedges cleverly trimmed in geometric patterns. The monastery was made famous in 1376 during a visit by St.
The bi-level cloister was added in 1550 and in 1562 a tower was constructed to defend the monastery from Turkish invasions. During this period, the monks who controlled the monastery held great power in the region, and they developed the artistic wealth of the monastery until 1782, when a storm almost destroyed it. In 1799, with the cessation of the orders, the monastery was abandoned. It remained in desolation for sixty nine years, until the Marquis Durazzo purchased it and restored it, bringing it back to the life and prosperity that made it famous. Today the Abbey is elegant and sophisticated, reflecting the style of the Italian Renaissance that was the work of the Marquis Durazzo. The present restoration aims to recover the original architectural structures and the cultural and social functions of the Abbey. The present owners are very committed to keeping and preserving this corner of Italian history. We hope you can join us on our special day in this very special place. |
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Catherine of Siena.
Throughout the centuries of its existence, it has passed through periods of glory and
power, as well as abandonment and ruin. In 1413, it was almost destroyed during a war, and in 1435 it was then rebuilt from its ashes
along with the Chapel.