Weddings, private parties, conferences and company dinners for up to 150 guests can be organized at Castello Lapi, a thirteenth-century castle among vineyards in San Casciano in Val di Pesa, in the Chianti hills 17 km from Florence. The estate is booked for one event a day, so the castle, courtyard and garden are reserved for a single group.
Seminars and company events
The castle hosts conferences, team building days and corporate dinners. The Armoury is the main meeting room: it seats 100 in an auditorium layout, 70 at round tables or 50 at one long imperial table, and a professional sound system is included. The Yellow Hall and the Red Hall, for 30 and 32 seated, work for breakout groups or a working lunch. Estate tours and tastings are offered as experiences and can fill the afternoon of a seminar day.
Weddings and receptions
Civil, symbolic and religious ceremonies are possible, and churches are a few minutes away by car. The private chapel, with neo-Gothic murals, seats 20, with extra chairs outside, and the garden hosts outdoor ceremonies and aperitifs. Dinner can be served in the courtyard, which seats 150, and music can play there until the end of the event. The castle welcomes ceremonies of all faiths and cultures, and LGBT weddings.
Rooms and capacities
Capacity is 150 guests outdoors and 150 indoors. The Courtyard seats 150, the Marquee seats 150 and serves as the plan for bad weather, and the Armoury takes up to 100. The Loggia seats 30 and suits a live band or a small reception. The Yellow Hall seats 30 for dinners or aperitifs, the Red Hall 32 with its own terrace, and the Marquis Hall 40 standing for aperitifs. The Vinsantaia, the room once used for vin santo, is kept for photo shoots or small brunches.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site yet. The castle says rooms will be available soon and suggests places to stay nearby.
Catering
Clients choose their own caterer and suppliers, provided they hold the required licences, and the castle can recommend caterers. The castle kitchen is fully equipped, and suppliers have their own parking area.
History and setting
The castle dates from 1252, when it was built as a stronghold defending the Florentine Republic, and was known for centuries as Castello Il Palagio. In the seventeenth century the Miniati di Dino family turned it into a country house, and the same family has looked after it since 1623. Fortified walls, old gardens and rooms with original furniture remain. The estate covers about 100 hectares of vineyards and olive groves.
Getting there
The address is Via Campoli 96/98, San Casciano in Val di Pesa. Florence is 17 km away, under 30 minutes by car, Siena 55 km, and Florence airport 34 km. The nearest motorway exit is 18 km away. Parking takes up to 60 cars.
