Tying the knot in the Eternal City
Wanna get married in Rome? And in a place with historical significance? Well, you’ll soon be able to do just that. The Rome city council recently decided that starting next fall the number of venues available for unholy matrimony in the Eternal City will be significantly increased so if you’re willing to pay you may be able to tie the knot in the Roman Forum, on the Sant’Angelo bridge, on the steps of the Pantheon and, who knows, maybe even in the Olympic Stadium.
At the moment, the city offers only two locations for civil weddings: the Red Room of the Campidoglio and the lovely Vignola Mattei former church across the viale from the Baths of Caracalla. Officially, the main reason for the Council’s decision, is a ruling by the Council of State that says that marriage can now be considered a social event as well a san intimate or spiritual one. But the Rome city government no doubt also has it’s eye on a new, possible source of revenue.
One word of warning. If you are now tempted into seeing yourself marrying in the Coliseum’s arena, in the once blood-soaked terrain where gladiators killed wild besta as well as one another and where Christians were martyred, forget it. That edifice is one that will remain permanently off-limits to those taking their vows.
