Inside the Sicilian Villa Where Dua Lipa and Callum Turner Celebrated Their Wedding Weekend, and How You Can Stay There, Too
Owned by a princess, the villa has inspired countless intellectuals and artists.
Shortly after their chic town hall ceremony in London , Dua Lipa and Callum Turner reportedly threw a star-studded wedding celebration in Sicily over the weekend, surrounded by Elton John, Charli XCX , Mark Ronson, Joe Alwyn, Olivia Dean, and Donatella Versace. That's amore!
Only a few photos from the pre- and post-wedding celebrations have emerged online, showing the couple celebrating in Sicily amongst their nearest and dearest. (Naturally we're all holding our breath for the singer's official wedding look to drop.)
The setting for their lavish 'do was the Sicilian capital of Palermo . Known for its rich history, architecture and food, it made for the perfect backdrop to celebrate love and life, as certified by the fun-loving couple.
While the full wedding details are yet to be revealed, we do know that the pair hosted the event at Villa Valguarnera , a historic 18th-century mansion known as “little Versailles.” Situated high above the town and owned by Princess Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca, a title bestowed on her family in 1609 by the King of Spain, the iconic venue was the perfect choice for the pair's celebrations.
Villa Valguarnera is located in the central square of Bagheria, just a few miles from Palermo, and is one of the earliest examples of neoclassical architecture. Built by Marianna Ucrìa, Princess Vittoria's several-times-over great-grandmother, in the 18th century, the site is full of cultural history, attracting guests such as Rudolf Steiner, Krishnamurti, Goethe, Linnaeus, and Madame Blavatsky. Royalty were drawn there too, including Maria Amalia, daughter of the exiled King of Naples and niece of the recently beheaded Marie Antoinette, who met Louis Philippe of France in 1806 in the villa.
Since it was built, the villa has inspired countless artists and filmmakers, including director Giuseppe Tornatore, who featured it in a short film for a Dolce & Gabbana perfume commercial with Sophia Loren.
Today its owner is committed to preserving her family’s historic home, which spans 37 acres of gardens and farmland. The piano nobile, or art gallery, is the part available to rent, which sleeps six across three bedrooms. Guests enter through an external staircase, from which there is a vast reception room flooded with natural light, and glass doors opening onto a terrace that sweeps around the villa.
Inside are a series of smaller, more intimate rooms frescoed with Pompeian miniatures, and decorated with period furniture and family heirlooms.
There are further grand reception rooms and corridors, through which are gorgeous views of the Mediterranean and Monte Corvo. There is a music room with an upright piano, wind-up gramophone and the collected lyrics of Bob Dylan, a perfect touch for the pop star.
At present, the villa is only available to rent on request. If you fancy your own Dua and Callum-inspired escape, you can send an inquiry here.
