FAQ'S

San Pietro Sopra le Acque is a 17th-century former Franciscan convent in Umbria, central Italy, restored as an exclusive-use wedding venue and resort. The estate spans 5 hectares of gardens, woodland, and a private park, with a consecrated chapel, a historic cloister, and 15 guest rooms on-site. It hosts approximately 20-25 weddings per year, primarily for international couples.

San Pietro is located in Massa Martana, in the Province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of central Italy. The full address is Vocabolo Capertame 533, 06056 Massa Martana (PG). The estate sits between the historic towns of Todi (15 km), Spoleto (35 km), and Assisi (40 km), in the heart of the Umbrian countryside.

Yes. San Pietro hosts only one wedding at a time and the entire estate is reserved exclusively for the couple and their guests for the duration of the celebration. This includes the historic buildings, gardens, chapel, pool, spa, sports facilities, and all 15 guest rooms. No other guests or events share the property during your stay.

San Pietro can host wedding receptions for up to 200 guests in the main banquet hall, and up to 250 guests in outdoor configurations. For overnight accommodation on-site, the estate's 15 rooms sleep up to 41 guests. Additional guests can stay at partner accommodations nearby, located within 1 to 12 km from the venue, with shuttle service arranged through the team.

Yes. The exclusive-use package includes full access to all estate spaces: the historic cloister, the Italian garden with rose garden, the wooded park, the panoramic terraces, the 200-seat banquet hall, the three communicating reception rooms (Canova, Aula Cardinalis, Aula Polinori), the swimming pool area, the spa, and the padel and sports courts. Each space can be used for different moments of the multi-day celebration. The on-site consecrated chapel is owned by the parish and can be used for Catholic religious ceremonies only.

The closest international airport is Rome Fiumicino (FCO), approximately 1 hour 30 minutes by car from San Pietro. Rome Ciampino (CIA) is also at around 1 hour 30 minutes. Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi Airport (PEG) is closer, at approximately 45 minutes, but offers fewer international connections, primarily seasonal flights from select European cities.

Most guests reach San Pietro by private transfer from Rome Fiumicino airport, which the venue can arrange directly. Group shuttle service starts from EUR 24 per person for a 50-passenger coach, one way. Alternatively, guests can rent a car at the airport or take a train and continue by taxi or private transfer from the nearest active station.

The closest active train station is Terni, approximately 30 minutes by car from San Pietro, with car rental available on reservation and private transfer organized by the venue. Other convenient options include Perugia, Orvieto, and Foligno stations, although car rental is not available at Foligno. For high-speed train connections from Rome, Florence, or Milan, Orte station, approximately 50 minutes by car, is the closest stop served by Frecciarossa and Italo trains.

Yes. For guests staying at partner accommodations near the venue, shuttle service is arranged between the venue and the accommodation. For guests with specific needs, including elderly guests, mobility issues, or late-night returns, additional private transport can be organized in coordination with the planning team. Within the estate, distances between all spaces are walkable.

Yes. San Pietro has a large private, video-surveilled parking area on-site with capacity for approximately 100 cars. Parking is free and reserved exclusively for wedding guests during the celebration.

Yes. San Pietro has a consecrated 17th-century chapel on the estate, owned by the local parish, where Catholic religious ceremonies can be legally celebrated. The chapel preserves original Late Mannerist paintings, frescoes, floors, and stuccoes. Catholic ceremonies require coordination with your home parish to obtain the nulla osta, or transfer of paperwork. The chapel accommodates up to 110 guests fully seated, or alternatively 60-80 guests seated with additional standing room available for a larger congregation.

Yes. Civil ceremonies with full legal value can be celebrated outdoors at San Pietro, including in the ancient walled rose garden. An authorized civil officer from the Municipality of Massa Martana conducts the ceremony. Required documentation includes valid passports, birth certificates, nulla osta al matrimonio from your home country, translated and apostilled, and prior submission to the Comune. We recommend starting the paperwork process at least 6 months before the wedding date, to allow time for translations, apostilles, and any country-specific requirements.

Yes. Symbolic ceremonies are the most popular choice for international couples at San Pietro. They can be held anywhere on the estate, in the wooded park, the rose garden, the cloister, under the loggia, or by the pool. The ceremony is led by an external celebrant, in English or your language of choice, with full freedom of script, vows, and ritual. Many couples complete the legal civil marriage in their home country and reserve the symbolic ceremony for the wedding day.

For international couples, the Diocese of Todi-Orvieto requires proof of an already completed civil marriage in your home country before issuing the documents for a Catholic ceremony in the chapel at San Pietro. This means most international couples complete their legal civil marriage at home, often through a simple courthouse procedure with a few witnesses, and reserve the meaningful Catholic celebration for the day at San Pietro. This separation keeps the wedding day focused on the religious and emotional moment, without legal formalities competing for attention. Italian couples can have both ceremonies on the same day at San Pietro, as the civil rite can be performed on-site with legal value.

Couples are welcome to bring their own Catholic priest, especially when language is important. For couples who prefer not to travel with a priest, San Pietro can share trusted contacts and, through the local Diocese, help find English, French, German, or Spanish-speaking celebrants. For civil ceremonies, the officer is provided by the Municipality of Massa Martana and conducts the rite in Italian. International couples need either a celebrant or a legally certified translator to follow the rite: San Pietro works with an experienced English-speaking celebrant who also assists with the legal documentation and timing, a streamlined solution that avoids coordinating multiple professionals. For symbolic ceremonies, the same celebrant network is available, with full freedom of script and language.

Yes. Most international couples plan their wedding at San Pietro entirely remotely. The planning team has developed a structured method that includes video consultations, detailed digital documentation, virtual venue tours, and remote menu selection. Many couples first visit the estate only a few days before the wedding. Real Wedding stories on the website include several couples who planned from the US, UK, Ireland, and Australia without prior in-person visits.

The planning process follows a structured method called MAESTRO, with 4-5 scheduled meetings between the couple and the wedding manager. Meetings can be held in person or via video call. The full timeline includes: initial planning and providing of the selected vendors list 8-12 months before, vendor site visit if desired, menu tasting in March or April of the same year of the wedding, and final review with detailed technical sheet 15-20 days before. Additional meetings are available on request.

Each couple is assigned a dedicated Wedding Manager from the moment of booking. The Wedding Manager is the single point of contact throughout the entire planning process and is present on the wedding day to coordinate all moments, suppliers, and timing. The team also includes a Wedding Advisor, a Banqueting Manager, and a Wedding Concierge team for guest hospitality.

The team is based in Italy, Central European Time, and is accustomed to scheduling video calls in time slots that work for couples in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and other regions. Written communication via email is the standard for documentation and important decisions. WhatsApp is the primary channel for shorter exchanges, with Telegram also available on request.

For peak season weddings from May to September, couples typically book 12-24 months in advance. The most popular summer dates can be reserved up to 24 months ahead. For off-season weddings, including April, October, winter, or intimate weddings, shorter planning windows of 6-9 months are possible. The first step is checking availability and arranging a consultation call.

San Pietro provides organization assistance and venue coordination, not full wedding planning. The Wedding Manager focuses on everything that happens on the wedding day itself: timeline, on-site logistics, supplier coordination, guest hospitality, and event flow. Couples receive a curated list of trusted suppliers, including photographers, florists, musicians, hair and make-up artists, and celebrants, and contact them directly to request quotes, video calls, and make selections based on style, technical needs, and budget. Couples who prefer full-service wedding planning are welcome to bring their own planner, and San Pietro collaborates regularly with external planners through clearly defined and complementary roles.

Wedding packages at San Pietro start from EUR 32,500 for 40 guests and 2 nights on a mid-week date. Three-night packages start from EUR 43,900, with weekend availability included. Each package includes exclusive use of the venue, all 15 rooms for 41 overnight guests, round-trip airport transfers, organization assistance and coordination, the welcome dinner, the wedding banquet, and the farewell brunch, plus several additional touches discovered during planning, including bride and groom preparation moments with sparkling wine and savory bites, the light lunch for guests, and the traditional limoncello shot. Final pricing depends on the number of guests, number of nights, and additional services selected. Detailed quotations are provided after an initial consultation call.

The standard package includes exclusive use of the entire estate, all 15 guest rooms sleeping up to 41 guests, round-trip airport transfers, daily breakfast, organization assistance and remote planning support, on-site coordination, welcome dinner, light lunch for guests, bride and groom preparation moments with sparkling wine and savory bites, wedding ceremony setup, wedding banquet menu, unlimited wine during dinner, three-hour open bar, wedding cake, farewell brunch, and the traditional limoncello shot. All applicable taxes, including VAT, SIAE music license, and City tax, are also included in the package, with no last-minute surprises.

The wedding package is structured as a fixed venue and event fee plus a per-person menu cost. The venue fee covers exclusive use, accommodation for 41 guests, and coordination. The per-person menu cost starts from EUR 180-EUR 210 depending on the number of guests, and includes the full wedding meal, unlimited wine, wedding cake, and three-hour open bar. Additional services such as extended welcome dinner formats, extra hours of open bar, or pool parties are quoted per person.

The standard minimum is 40 guests, which is the threshold for package pricing. Exceptions for 30-35 guests can be considered for mid-week dates and off-season weddings, with quotation adjusted accordingly. Couples who prefer a weekend or peak-season date with fewer than 40 guests are also welcome; in this case the standard 40-guest package applies regardless of actual attendance, which many intimate weddings find perfectly suited to their style.

Payment schedule and cancellation policy FAQs will be added after the upcoming contract revision.

The estate has 15 rooms accommodating up to 41 overnight guests, included in the wedding package. The room mix includes 11 double bedrooms, 2 suites for 4 people, 1 suite for 6 people, and 1 apartment for 5 people. All rooms have air conditioning, private bathrooms, and traditional Umbrian styling. A room accessible for guests with mobility needs is available and reached by elevator.

For guests beyond the 41 overnight capacity, San Pietro coordinates with partner accommodations located 1 to 12 km from the venue. Options include farmhouses, B&Bs, vacation homes, and small hotels in the nearby Massa Martana area, with larger hotels available in Todi, 12 km away. Shuttle service between partner accommodations and the venue is arranged by the team.

Yes. All 15 rooms, totaling 41 beds, are included in the standard wedding package, along with daily breakfast. The rooms are reserved exclusively for wedding guests during the celebration. If additional rooms are needed at partner accommodations nearby, those are quoted separately based on the number of guests, the chosen accommodation, and the season.

Yes. San Pietro is pet-friendly and welcomes dogs and other small pets as part of the celebration. The wedding team can also coordinate professional dog-sitting service through a partner provider, so couples and guests can fully enjoy the day knowing pets are cared for. Specific requests should be communicated during the planning process.

Yes. San Pietro is accessible for guests with mobility needs: a room reserved for accessible accommodation is available and reached by elevator. All indoor and outdoor common spaces on the ground floor are accessible, and accessible bathrooms are available in the common areas. The team can advise on specific accommodation needs during planning.

Yes. During the wedding stay, all guests have full access to the swimming pool, the gym, and the wooded park walking paths. Spa treatments, padel sessions, and dedicated pool parties can be added throughout the multi-day celebration. The Signature Stay package includes spa and padel access for guests; with other packages these are available as additional services, easily booked through the planning team during the organization process.

The kitchen at San Pietro is fully in-house. All meals are prepared on-site by the resident chef and the resident banqueting team, with no external catering. Chef Michele Raffi, from Gubbio in Umbria, has led the kitchen for over 10 years and crafts a revisited traditional Umbrian cuisine using local seasonal ingredients. This continuity ensures consistent quality and full flexibility in customizing the menu to each couple's preferences.

Yes. The wedding menu is fully customizable. This refers specifically to the seated dinner menu, which at San Pietro is served all'italiana, with each course plated in the kitchen and brought to the table individually. The catalog includes over 80 dishes covering first courses such as risottos, sauteed pasta, filled pasta, and baked pasta, as well as main courses including white meats, game, pork, red meats, and vegan options, all strongly rooted in Umbrian and Italian regional traditions. During the menu tasting, held in March or April of the wedding year, couples select their final menu in collaboration with the chef. The antipasti buffet and dessert offerings follow a different structure described in dedicated planning materials. Special requests and personal touches are welcome and discussed individually.

Yes. The kitchen handles all common dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and specific allergies, all at no additional charge. Halal and kosher meals can also be accommodated, with an additional charge per meal. Custom dessert substitutions tailored to specific dietary needs may also have an additional cost. We do not cater for highly restrictive specialty diets such as Keto or Whole30. Each guest's dietary requirements are collected before the event in the technical sheet, which is the operational document shared between couple and venue: only with this information can the chef prepare menu substitutions to be plated and served personally to the guests who need them on the wedding day.

The private menu tasting is held in March or April of the wedding year. Private means dedicated to one couple at a time, never a group tasting with other couples. It includes 5 primi, or first courses, 4 secondi, or main courses, and 6 wines from 3 local Umbrian wineries. Couples can bring additional guests, such as parents or wedding party members, for an extra per-person charge.

For couples who cannot travel to Italy for the tasting, the planning team provides an authoritative guided menu selection process based on detailed preferences and dietary discussions. Most international couples choose this option and report excellent results on the wedding day. The Wedding Manager and the chef work together to translate the couple's preferences, dietary needs, and stylistic direction into a menu that reflects their vision, even without an in-person tasting.

Yes. Unlimited wine is included throughout the entire wedding experience: during the dinner and also as part of the three-hour open bar. The wine selection comes from a curated list of Umbrian and Italian regional wines, presented during the menu tasting and chosen together with the couple. San Pietro works with 3 local Umbrian wineries for the main selections, with additional Italian wines available on request. The open bar also includes classic cocktails, spirits, beer, and soft drinks.

The welcome dinner and the farewell brunch are both included in the standard wedding packages. The welcome dinner is typically served in the historic cloister on the day before the wedding, though the location can be reviewed together with the Wedding Manager based on preferences, technical needs, and organizational considerations. The farewell brunch is served the day after, by the pool or in the park, weather permitting. Extended formats such as pizza night, BBQ pool party, themed dinners, and additional events are available to enhance the multi-day experience.

Yes. San Pietro maintains a curated list of approved suppliers across all necessary categories, including florists and event design, photography, videography, music and entertainment, hair and make-up, kids services, and celebrants. These partners have been selected over years of collaboration and know the venue's operational standards, spaces, and timing. The list is shared with couples as the first step of the planning path, after date confirmation. Couples then contact suppliers directly to check availability, request quotes, schedule video calls, and make their selections.

Yes. Couples are free to bring their own vendors. San Pietro maintains a list of trusted partner suppliers who already know the venue and its operational standards, but external vendors are welcome too. External suppliers are subject to prior approval and must comply with operational guidelines, including providing valid Italian DURC, insurance and compliance documentation, at least 15 days before the wedding.

Fireworks and pyrotechnics are allowed only through a specific supplier selected by the venue. This restriction is in place for safety and insurance compliance reasons, given the historic property and the surrounding wooded park. Couples interested in pyrotechnic effects should request the addition during the planning process. Sparklers, smoke bombs, firecrackers, and other independent pyrotechnic items are not permitted on the property.

Yes, within some practical guidelines. Couples can personalize the spaces with flowers, lighting, table settings, signage, and decorative elements that reflect their story and style. Certain items are not permitted for preservation, safety, or operational reasons: artificial confetti and petals, as only real rice and real petals are allowed, candles without protective glass, and dancing directly on the lawn, where a wooden floor is required and can be rented. The full list of guidelines is shared during the planning process.

Yes. Kids entertainment, babysitting, and dedicated children's activities are available through a partner provider, with multilingual staff trained for destination wedding families. Services can include daytime supervision, themed activities, dedicated dinner setups, and evening watch for younger children while parents enjoy the celebration. Specific needs are discussed and planned during the organization phase.

A typical wedding spans 2-3 days, with the central day structured around the ceremony, reception, and party. The morning begins with bride and groom preparation in two dedicated private spaces, the upper Loggia and the Lucitus Lounge. Sparkling wine and savory bites are shared with the wedding party during getting ready. Guests may enjoy the pool, gardens, or a padel match. The ceremony takes place in the afternoon, followed by cocktail hour, the seated dinner, the cake cutting, and dancing under the stars, with the open bar running throughout the party and no curfew. The day before typically features a welcome dinner, which often opens or closes with the traditional limoncello shot. The day after usually includes a farewell brunch or a BBQ pool party.

The day before the wedding, guests arrive and settle into their rooms, with time to relax at the pool, the spa, or in the park. The evening features the welcome dinner, typically served in the historic cloister illuminated by fairy lights. The team highly recommends dedicating 30-60 minutes to a ceremony rehearsal with the Wedding Coordinator, who will also assist on the wedding day, because it makes the actual day calmer, simpler, and more enjoyable for the couple.

The day after the wedding depends on the package. With a 2-night stay, guests enjoy the farewell brunch by the pool before departing. With a 3-night stay, the third day is fully experienced through a daytime BBQ and pool party by the swimming pool, followed by a farewell dinner in the evening. Extended programs with additional activities such as a spa day or padel tournament can be added to enrich the multi-day experience.

The welcome dinner and farewell brunch are already included in the standard wedding packages. Couples can extend the multi-day program with additional formats such as pizza night, BBQ pool party, themed dinners, spa days for guests, padel tournaments, cooking classes, wine tastings, and other activities tailored to the group. These extensions transform the wedding from a single celebration into a full immersive experience for guests traveling from abroad. Each addition is quoted separately and planned in detail with the Wedding Manager.

There is no curfew at San Pietro. The party can continue late into the night, thanks to the exclusive use of the entire estate and its isolated location surrounded by private parkland. Couples can extend the party as long as they wish, and additional late hours can be added at the planning stage. After-party setups such as lounge corners, late-night snacks, and additional bar hours can also be arranged.

San Pietro has a built-in rain plan that does not rely on tents. The estate includes a fully equipped indoor banquet hall for 180-200 seats, three communicating reception rooms called Canova, Aula Cardinalis, and Aula Polinori, the Veranda, which is a covered terrace overlooking the park with seating for up to 70 guests, and the Frescoes Porch, a covered porch that works beautifully as an alternative ceremony space. The ground floor corridors connect the three communicating rooms with the Lucitus Lounge and the Loggia Bar, creating a natural circuit for an itinerant aperitivo and antipasti buffet in which guests move through multiple atmospheres and food stations. This itinerant format is also the Plan A for winter weddings, when the entire experience moves indoors by design.

All these spaces are elegantly furnished and ready to host the ceremony, dinner, and party indoors with no compromise in style. Often, the first solution for a brief summer shower is simply waiting it out, because the entire event is hosted on-site and the timeline can flex as needed. The decision between Plan A and Plan B is typically made 48 hours before the wedding based on forecasts, with further flexibility applied on the day if the event layout allows.

The legal documentation required depends on each couple's nationality and home country. In general, it includes valid passports, certified birth certificates, and a Nulla Osta al Matrimonio, or Statement of No Impediment to Marriage, issued by the relevant Embassy or Consulate in Italy or by the home country's civil registry. Documents typically need to be translated into Italian and apostilled or legalized, depending on the country. EU citizens benefit from simplified procedures under EU regulations.

Because consular requirements and timelines vary by country and can change, San Pietro recommends working with the experienced English-speaking celebrant included in its trusted suppliers network. The celebrant handles the entire legal paperwork process, including liaison with the Municipality of Massa Martana, document checks, translations, scheduling of consular appointments, and final coordination of the legal ceremony. Starting the paperwork process at least 6 months before the wedding date is strongly recommended.

The legal paperwork is the couple's responsibility, as is standard for international weddings in Italy. San Pietro strongly recommends entrusting this work to the specialized celebrant in its trusted suppliers network, an experienced English-speaking professional who handles the entire process on behalf of the couple: confirming the exact documents needed for their nationality, managing translations and apostilles, coordinating with the Municipality of Massa Martana, and ensuring all formalities are in place well before the wedding. This is a dedicated professional service, quoted separately by the celebrant, and it removes a substantial workload from the couple. San Pietro introduces couples to the celebrant during the planning process and remains in regular communication with both, but the legal coordination is entirely managed by the celebrant, which is the most reliable approach for international weddings in Italy.

Yes. San Pietro is a private estate with controlled access, a video-surveilled parking area, and on-site staff entirely dedicated to your event throughout the celebration. The exclusivity of the venue means only wedding guests and dedicated staff are on the property during the celebration. Rooms have private keys and personal safes. The team is present throughout the stay to handle any practical need or unexpected situation.

Yes. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the entire estate, including all guest rooms, common areas, indoor reception spaces, and outdoor gardens. Connection details are provided at check-in.

Yes. Families with children are welcome at San Pietro. Several rooms and suites are configured for families: the 6-person suite, the 5-person apartment, and two 4-person family suites. Two cribs are also available and can be added to selected rooms for infants under 2 years old. Child-friendly meals can be prepared by the kitchen, and dedicated kids entertainment is available through a partner provider. The pool area, gardens, and park offer plenty of space for children to play safely, with the privacy of the exclusive venue meaning families do not need to worry about other outside guests.

Peak season runs from mid-May through September, with the most popular months being June, July, and September. Spring shoulder season, including April and early May, and autumn, especially October, offer milder temperatures, lower demand, and reserved offers. Winter weddings from November to March are possible and have a distinct intimate atmosphere, with fewer guests, candlelit indoor receptions, fireplaces, and occasional snow over the Umbrian countryside. Each season offers a different character, and the planning team helps couples match the season to their vision.

The first step is checking date availability and arranging an initial consultation call. Couples can fill out the contact form on the website with basic information such as preferred date range, approximate guest number, ceremony type, and nationality. The Wedding Advisor replies within 12-24 hours to confirm availability and schedule a discovery consultation, a one-to-one conversation tailored to the wedding vision and conducted personally by the Advisor. This is a complimentary part of the planning service, designed to give couples time and attention before making any decision.