9 Underrated Wedding Venues in Tuscany | Italy Destination Wedding Guide
Chianti wineries, roofless abbeys, and quiet estates for couples who want Tuscany without the crowds
Tuscany is the most photographed wedding backdrop in Italy, which is exactly why it’s worth looking past the obvious postcards. Beyond the famous names, the region hides quieter estates, a roofless Gothic abbey, and family-run wineries where the light is just as golden and the crowds are nowhere in sight. As a destination wedding photographer with a background in architecture, I’m drawn to spaces where design and landscape work together — which is exactly what shaped this list. Here are 8 underrated wedding venues in Tuscany worth considering for your Italian destination wedding.
1. Il Borgo di Vignamaggio
Vignamaggio is a 15th-century Renaissance hamlet on a 400-hectare wine estate, recently restored after a seven-year renovation and famous as the historic home of the Gherardini family. Between the glass greenhouse, the Renaissance piazza, and the estate’s own vineyards, Vignamaggio gives a full wedding weekend’s worth of settings.
- Location: Greve in Chianti, halfway between Florence and Siena
- Getting there: 45 minutes from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: up to 250 guests for the event, with ceremonies held in the pergola, gardens, or the frescoed 15th-century chapel
- Sleep there? Yes, 17 suites on-site (around 40–55 guests), with additional nearby farmhouses and a boutique inn bringing total accommodation up to roughly 150 guests
2. Villa Cetinale
Villa Cetinale is a 17th-century Baroque villa near Siena, built for Pope Alexander VII and framed by some of the most celebrated gardens in Italy. The villa rents by the week, so most couples turn it into a multi-day celebration. It’s a great fit for the loose editorial style of wedding photography like MIJO weddings.
- Location: Ancaiano, about 20 minutes west of Siena
- Getting there: roughly 1 hour from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: up to 100 guests, with the gardens and the 17th-century chapel available for ceremonies
- Sleep there? Yes, up to 48 guests across the main villa and three farmhouses on the estate
3. Casa Newton
Casa Newton is a boutique estate in the Val d’Orcia, perched at the highest point of its own vineyard with sweeping views toward Monte Amiata.
- Location: Val d’Orcia, between Pienza and Montepulciano
- Getting there: about 90 minutes from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: up to 50 guests
- Sleep there? Yes, 11 suites, with a minimum 4-night exclusive-use stay
Its scale makes Casa Newton perfect for couples who want an intimate, design-forward wedding rather than a large production — the kind of quiet, editorial mood I love capturing.
4. Borgo Iesolana Country Retreat & Ristorante
Borgo Iesolana is a converted hamlet of farmhouses in the Val d’Ambra, tucked between Florence, Siena and Arezzo. Its two pools and terraces overlooking the vineyards give plenty of options for a relaxed, effortlessly elegant wedding weekend.
- Location: Val d’Ambra, southern Chianti, near Bucine
- Getting there: about 1 hour from Florence
- Guest capacity: roughly 50–90 guests
- Sleep there? Yes, 16 suites plus a cottage, for around 50 people
5. Poggio Cennina
Poggio Cennina is a small hilltop hamlet on the edge of southern Chianti, with a private lake hidden in its own forest. The resort’s quiet, off-the-radar setting suits couples who want the Chianti landscape with a more private, peaceful atmosphere.
- Location: Val d’Ambra, near Bucine, on the border of Chianti
- Getting there: about 1 hour from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: up to around 50 guests indoors, more outdoors
- Sleep there? Yes, 17 units across villas, apartments and rooms
6. Il Verreno
Il Verreno sits above the small town of Ambra, with panoramic views over an ancient oak forest and the southern Chianti hills.
- Location: above Ambra, southern Chianti (Arezzo province)
- Getting there: about 1 hour from Florence, 30 minutes from Siena
- Guest capacity: typically up to 80 guests
- Sleep there? Yes, up to 40 guests across 20 rooms, suites and apartments
Il Verreno’s kitchen has a strong local reputation, which makes it an easy sell to international couples who want the food to match the view.
7. Castel Monastero
Castel Monastero is a restored 11th-century monastery-turned-village near Siena, with its own medieval piazza and a small stone church. The piazza alone gives a full wedding day’s worth of backdrops — ceremony, cocktail hour and dancing can all happen in different corners of the same medieval square. What more could you need for a Tuscan wedding?
- Location: Castelnuovo Berardenga, about 23 km from Siena
- Getting there: about 1.5 hours from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: up to 150 guests, with the church holding up to 30 for a blessing
- Sleep there? Yes, up to around 140–150 guests across 70 rooms and suites
8. San Galgano Abbey
Can You Get Married at the Abbey of San Galgano? Yes! This 13th-century Gothic abbey near Chiusdino that lost its roof centuries ago is truly a one-of-a-kind place. Ceremonies happen directly under the open sky, and there’s no venue on this list with a more dramatic sense of architecture. It works especially well when paired with a separate reception venue nearby.
- Location: Chiusdino, about 35 km southwest of Siena
- Getting there: roughly 1 hour 20 minutes from Florence airport
- Guest capacity: only civil ceremonies are permitted, arranged through the Chiusdino town hall
9. Villa Cozzano
Villa Cozzano is an 18th-century farmhouse-turned-wedding-venue perched on a hill right on the Tuscany–Umbria border, surrounded by the vineyards of Montepulciano.
- Location: Pozzuolo, on the Tuscany–Umbria border near Montepulciano and Lake Trasimeno
- Getting there: roughly 1.5–2 hours from Florence, or about 40 minutes from Perugia’s Sant’Egidio airport
- Guest capacity: up to 50 guests for the event
- Sleep there? Yes, 23–28 guests on-site across the villa’s restored suites
The estate’s antique frescoes, working olive groves, and a pool overlooking the lake make it a favorite for couples who want an intimate, exclusive-use week rather than a single wedding day — the slower pace suits MIJO weddings‘ documentary, editorial approach perfectly. Read an in-depth guide to this beautiful venue here.
Final Thoughts — A Photographer’s Perspective
Tuscany’s best-kept wedding secrets aren’t really hidden, they’re simply overshadowed by a handful of famous names. From a working Chianti winery to the roofless nave of San Galgano, each of these venues offers something the busier estates can’t: privacy, a unique experience, and a landscape that photographs like it was designed for — because, in many cases, it was.
If you’re planning a destination wedding in Tuscany and want a photographer who understands both architecture and storytelling, I’d love to tell your story. Read more about my approach to destination wedding photography here: MIJO weddings.
Note: Venue details, including capacity and accommodation, have been gathered from the venues’ own websites and third-party wedding directories as of 2026. For the most up-to-date information, please contact the venues directly.
Sources:
- Inspirato — website
Il Borgo di Vignamaggio — website | instagram: @vignamaggio
- Villa Cetinale — website | instagram: @cetinale
- Casa Newton — website | instagram: @casanewtontuscany
- Borgo Iesolana Country Retreat & Ristorante — website | instagram: @borgoiesolana
- Poggio Cennina — website | instagram: @poggiocennina
- Il Verreno — website | instagram: @ilverrenocucinadonnaluisa
- Castel Monastero — website | instagram: @castelmonastero
- San Galgano Abbey — instagram: @abbazia_san_galgano | The LANE — An Open-Air Ceremony at San Galgano Abbey, Siena
Villa Cozzano — website | instagram: @villacozzano | Umbria Hotels — Villa Cozzano
Disclaimer: All photos are used for illustrative purposes. Credits go to their respective owners. If you own the rights to any image and wish it to be removed or credited properly, please contact me.
BOOK A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
If you’d like to check my availability for your wedding date, please fill out this short contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
If you prefer to get in touch via email, you can reach out to:
Let’s start your story!