Lake Bracciano & Odescalchi Castle: A Royal Wedding Setting
Forty-five minutes north-west of Rome, the via Cassia descends into the Sabatini volcanic crater, and the traveller arrives at one of the most cinematic small landscapes in the Lazio region: Lake Bracciano, a perfectly circular volcanic lake of fifty-seven square kilometres, ringed by three medieval villages, and dominated by the silhouette of the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi — the 15th-century papal-baronial castle that on 18 November 2006 hosted the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and that has since become the most photographed wedding setting in central Italy. The private day from Rome is the most accessible day trip in the entire Castelli region and, for the traveller in search of a slow elegant Lazio day, perhaps the most memorable.
The Odescalchi Castle: from Orsini to Hollywood
The castle was begun in 1470 by Cardinal Latino Orsini as a defensive fortress on the volcanic ridge above the lake. By 1696 it had passed to the Odescalchi family — the family of Pope Innocent XI — and was transformed from a fortress into a princely residence: the main court frescoed, the Hall of the Caesars decorated with grotesques, the loggia opened over the lake. The Odescalchi family still owns the castle and lives in the private apartments on the upper floors; the lower three floors are open to visit, and the lake-facing terrace is used for the great Italian weddings (about sixty per year, including the Cruise-Holmes wedding in 2006). The visit takes one and a half hours.
The lakeside lunch: Trevignano
The most elegant lunch on the lake is at Trevignano Romano — the smallest of the three lake villages, on the northern shore, with a single medieval main street descending to the water. We arrange the table at the Ristorante Casina Bianca (private terrace over the lake) or at the Acquarella (the boat-house restaurant of the Caccialepri family, with its own pier and electric boats). Both serve the lake’s classical fish — coregone, persico, anguilla — and the Frascati of the Cesanese hills.
The afternoon: lake swim or castle tasting
The afternoon may be split. For guests in the hot months (May through September) the lake is, after Bracciano, the cleanest swimming lake within reach of Rome — the volcanic water is mineral-clear, the temperature is eighteen to twenty-two degrees, the beach at Trevignano is private if arranged in advance. For cooler months we propose instead a private wine tasting in the castle cellars: the Odescalchi wine — the historic «Cardinale Carlo» Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on the volcanic slopes above the lake — is poured by the family’s sommelier in the 16th-century underground vault.
Combinations and continuations
The day at Bracciano combines naturally with two other Lazio experiences. Forty minutes south is Castel Gandolfo and the papal summer palace — the two volcanic lakes can be done in a single long day with a midday lunch at Bracciano. Further north is the Tuscan wine country, which, for guests wishing to extend the day, can be reached by helicopter from the airfield north of the lake (see our VIP helicopter tour over the volcanic lakes). For shorter days, the Bracciano excursion fits naturally into our Tour of the Roman Castles.
Practical notes
The Castello Odescalchi is open Wednesday through Sunday, 09:30–17:30 (last entrance 16:30). Private guided visit must be requested forty-eight hours in advance through the castle’s office (or through ours, which is the simpler route). The chauffeured day from Rome — including transfer, private guide, castle visit, lakefront lunch, optional swim or wine tasting — is nine to ten hours door to door.
To curate a private day at Lake Bracciano and the Odescalchi Castle with chauffeured transfer and lakefront lunch, contact Olga via Telegram.
