A Love Story Fit for a Fairy Tale: When Antique Lace Meets a 16th-Century Church
In a world where love stories often seem like mere scripts, Anna Virginia Visocchi Sanseverino di Marcellinara and Corso Sestini Branca di Romanico's tale stands out as a captivating narrative. Their journey began over a simple lunch in Milan, a moment that Anna Virginia describes as an instant connection, a glimpse of something extraordinary. However, fate had its own timing, and it wasn't until a year later that their paths crossed again, this time without any obstacles.
"We started talking about our shared passion for exploring the world's most remote places," Anna Virginia reminisces. "And in that moment, I felt a strange familiarity with Corso. It was as if I had known him forever."
A chance third meeting sealed their fate. "A casual chat turned into a dinner, and that dinner transformed into love," she adds with a smile.
But here's where it gets controversial... Corso's proposal, a moment that could have been straight out of a romantic movie, was not without its risks. On a late summer weekend, during a trip to Belgium for a friend's wedding, Corso took Anna Virginia on a boat ride across a serene lake. With the sun setting, creating a pinkish hue, and elegant swans swimming alongside, Corso got down on one knee, presenting a ruby ring that belonged to his maternal grandmother. It was a spontaneous and intimate moment, but also a daring one, as the little boat started drifting away, leaving them alone in the middle of the lake.
"It was a unique and perfect instant," Anna Virginia says. "The world felt like it was right there, in that small boat, with the water and the amazement surrounding us. I will cherish that moment forever."
When it came to choosing the wedding venue, the decision was straightforward for the couple. "We wanted to get married at home, in the 18th-century Vesuvian villa that holds a special place in my heart," Anna Virginia shares. "It's thanks to the memory of my great-grandmother Lilly, a remarkable woman who lived there and made that place a part of my soul."
The Naples villa, currently undergoing restoration, was ready just in time for their July 5, 2025, celebration. The ceremony would take place at the Church of the Gesù Nuovo, a location brimming with history for Anna Virginia. "The church's rusticated façade and its almost ethereal atmosphere once belonged to Prince Roberto Sanseverino, one of my ancestors," she explains. "Being there, in the heart of a place so deeply connected to my family's history, made every moment even more meaningful."
Anna Virginia, who had never envisioned a grand wedding, entrusted the planning to her mother, Selvaggia Sanseverino di Marcellinara, and Carolina Pignata Lambert, the owner of La Festa by Homeating. "Every time we visited Naples for wedding appointments, I found my mother completely immersed in the preparations, brimming with ideas and surrounded by fabric samples," Anna Virginia recalls. "Corso was amazed when we chose to have 400 crochet doilies handmade for each bread plate. It was our way of welcoming guests with the same warmth one feels when crossing the threshold of home."
Other family members also played their part in bringing this special day to life. Corso's mother, Ilaria Branca, assisted with invitations, his brother, Carlo, curated welcome boxes, and Anna Virginia's brother, Giorgio, helped with music and seating arrangements. "It was a collective effort, with everyone putting their heart and dedication into making our wedding a unique and memorable experience," Anna Virginia concludes.
And this is the part most people miss... the beauty of this wedding wasn't just in the antique lace dress or the historic church, but in the love and dedication that went into every detail, making it a truly special celebration of two souls coming together.
