Castrum Resort

We booked the castle for our wedding after looking at another castle that was unsuitable. We were very happy with our choice. Communication: We originally contacted Castrum on a Saturday in the spring while in Italy, and they were available the next day for a viewing. Paolo and his English-speaking friend, Luca, were very helpful and showed us around. Subsequently, we had to communicate with them to arrange numerous things like catering, flowers, and the celebrant. They were very helpful. Booking: To save on some Airbnb fees, we booked directly with the resort. There was an initial deposit and the final payment on the last day, using Apple Pay in my case. The Place: The building has been meticulously restored by Paolo over the past decade or so. There are numerous features and quirks of engineering. There is really some craftsmanship in the fixtures and fittings. For example, some doors have medieval-type locks that must have been handmade for each door. There is a lot of thoughtful work all over, showing that a lot of love and affection has gone into creating the place. There are eight apartments with varying styles and grandeur. It worked well for our wedding party because there were several families. There were 21 of us in total, and it housed us all comfortably. There is a lovely courtyard to spend the evenings as well as various roof terraces for some apartments; this is where we had the wedding ceremony. The pool is very visible in the photos and was a great place to spend some time relaxing and cooling down. The kids (and some adults) spent hours playing water handball there. Facilities: The apartments all had their own bathrooms, with the majority being ensuite. They were clean and pleasant places to spend time, which was useful because we had a toddler with us. Each apartment has basic cooking facilities and a refrigerator. There is internet service throughout the castle, with enough bandwidth for video calls (around 50MBs UL/DL). With the advantage of being at the top of a hill, there is good 5G coverage for EE (TIM) and decent 4G coverage for Vodafone. I expect the other networks are also suitably covered. There is also a spa with saunas and a jacuzzi, but we did not use them. I had read some comments about it being unsafe for children, but I could not see any issues; the stairs all had the appropriate railings. I would not leave the toddler to roam unattended because of the stairs and pool, but nor would I at home. There is a restaurant on-site, adjacent to the main castle, run by Daniele. It serves great local dishes in the evening and provided breakfasts for us when we wanted them. Daniele speaks very good English and was a pleasure to deal with; his serving staff were all very attentive and genuinely friendly. They catered for the wedding brilliantly. They also arranged cooking lessons and a wine tasting evening for us. It's worth noting that the restaurant is open in the evening to the public from 8 pm, except for Monday and Tuesday, but that was not a concern for us regarding parking. Activities: We visited some local towns like Assisi and Spello, which were beautiful. Some of us did a rafting experience in the Nira River, which was good fun but not particularly challenging. The same location hires out power-assisted mountain bikes, which would be fun. We also did the wine tasting and cooking lessons, as previously mentioned. I'm sure there are many more activities in the vicinity. Getting There: It is easy to reach the castle from Rome; it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach it from CIA airport. I believe it's similar from the other Rome airport. Overall: We had an amazing time there. The place itself is a wonderful edifice, and the surrounding areas and views are spectacular. We all felt a great fondness for Paolo and his wife, and Manuela, the receptionist. Daniele, the chef, was amazing, as were his serving staff. Overall, the holiday and wedding could not have worked out better for us, and it was a memorable fairytale for us all. We will be back.