We have a master list of all available rooms and as families RSVP, we will be assigning rooms based on preference and needs. Castello di Ristonchi consists of 30 apartments from studios to 2-bedrooms. Each apartment has it's own private bathroom and kitchen. Some apartments in the tower have lots of stairs but the best views. We look forward to acting as a middle man and working with each of you to be sure that you are fully accommodated during your stay. Please remember the owners have maintained an effort to preserve the history of the castle so rooms may not be luxurious.
There are a few options. For self-directed travel, you should take the train to the station "Pontassieve" and from there, either take the bus or work with us for a shuttle pick up. You may also drive directly to the location if you're already renting a car in Italy. There will also be an interest form to see who would be interested in getting group transportation to the Castle on Wednesday, June 24th and leaving the Castle on Friday, June 26th. The group shuttle will have a pick up and drop off at the Florence Airport. We are still working on the pick up and drop schedules and will revert back once you RSVP and fill out the interest form.
You'll need clothing appropriate for the activities you'll be participating in (wedding, pool, wine drinking, pizza making, etc). The wedding will be outside on grass and that may be something worth considering for shoe options. We are planning to have activities but please feel free to bring any books, board games, or shared fun options that you'd like! If you want to listen to music by the pool or getting ready, a speaker would be a good thing to pack. The rooms will have bed linens, a towel per guest, hand soap, and shampoo packet(s). Please bring any additional toiletries you may want. A more detailed list will be sent once you RSVP. If you want to track the weather, this is a good link to follow weather patterns in the area.https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/pelago/1548049/weather-forecast/1548049
Your presence is our greatest gift! We absolutely do NOT want wedding gifts (we will not have space to bring this back with us). For those of you who really want to give a gift, we will have a link to our honeymoon fund for excursions as well as asking that you send your favorite recipe and a cute message to Kristina.Cielec@aol.com so we can make a fun recipe book!
The most difficult part is getting there - once you’re there, Europe is rather affordable! Make sure you book your flights in advance. Unfortunately, you are not able to stay at the castle once the wedding is over, however, there are other villas within only a few minutes drive if you wish to stay in Tuscany. If you'd like to vacation past the wedding, the castle is conveniently located by train to major cities as well as Florence airport with low cost airlines that connect you across Europe. The low cost airlines can be tricksters so make sure you read the fine print! Other tips: familiarize yourself with AirBnB, Europe is full of options with private or shared apartment rentals that fit any price point - tiny studio in Paris or a lavish penthouse with a view of the Eiffel Tower. If you have more than 2 in your group, consider driving rather than flying. Car rentals can run super cheap (be careful to book an automatic if you don’t know manual!) and with a few google searches, you may even be able to avoid a one way drop off fee. Avoid major tourist locations to save extra dollars.
YES! The Castle's updated network consist of 6 ubiquity AP and delivers speed of 30/3Mb. There is wifi in the common areas and outside as well as in the Castello/Tower apartments. The Fattoria and Borghetto apartments have very thick stone walls and do not reach the wifi.
We will be providing alcohol during most events. Check out the schedule- any time alcohol is mentioned - we will be providing it. We also will be ordering cases of wine, beer, and liquor to all enjoy together - requests are welcome. That being said, speciality cocktails, beer, or additional bottles (or cases) of wine that you wish to consume will be available to purchase once you arrive. These items will be charged to your room - and must be paid in full upon check out.
Yeah! The castle! With us! Your favorite people! Ristonchi Castle is a rustic, 1,000 year old medieval castle surrounded by olive groves and a forest of chestnut trees and wild edibles. It's not a regular hotel, so their won't be daily cleanings, but all of the basics will be provided for you such as clean sheets, towels, pillows, blankets, toilet paper, soap and shampoo. The furnishings are typical Tuscan style, and some of the bathrooms are small and quirky, but that's the fun of staying in an old castle. When you wake up you know you’re in Tuscany! There is heating, but no air conditioning. The thick stone walls and fresh mountain breeze should keep you comfortable, or there is a fresh spring water pool that will definitely do the trick! We will set up an ironing station for anyone needing to iron their clothes during their stay. There are no laundry facilities onsite. There is a bar and small shop where you can buy coffee, drinks, ice cream and snacks. The castle is secluded so please bring everything special (like medication) you'll need for the weekend with you. If this sounds like a nightmare to you - there are some villas you can book about 15 minute drive from the castle. But we REALLY hope you'll stay on site with everyone else and live out a once in a lifetime chance to stay in a Tuscan Castle.
We have a lot of information to send to each person attending as well as gathering a lot of information from each person attending. We ask that you please RSVP so we are able to get this information to each person attending. Please select "WILL NOT ATTEND" or "WILL ATTEND" and we will reach out in the coming months with more information. We know this is a big decision - please take all the time you need to think it over and get back to us. We want you to have plenty of time to think this over/plan and we ask that you please have your decision documented by December 31st, 2025 so we can get logistics for the castle organized. If you have questions please feel free to reach out!
We kindly ask that everyone wear black so we can get coordinated photos with our friends and family on our big day! For the welcome pizza party, we are asking that you wear your favorite bright and summery colors!
Lodging, food and most beverages are included in our package with no additional cost to you. You can choose to purchase additional snacks and beverages for additional fees at the castle as well if you choose. Other than that just your flights and any other travel activities you do after or before the wedding!!
Please sit patiently while we to finalize numbers and we will send out forms on dietary restrictions for the meals at the castle, group travel to the castle interest forms, room information, packing lists and any other details you need to know. In the meantime, feel free to ask us anything that comes up! You can also check out the castle's website, https://www.ristonchi.com/ to see more pictures and get an idea of where we are going!
PASSPORTS!! Please make sure to be looking at getting passports and checking the expiration date on those passports. We would be so sad if you went to leave for your trip and your passport is expired. Along with that, please remember you need adapters in Europe for anything that needs to be plugged in. Ladies, I am always cautious of what hair tools I bring even if I have an adapter, you never know. Lastly, we know flights can be expensive, we recommend looking at flights about 8 months out and setting alerts to get the lowest flight option.
For welcome night with pizza, please feel free to wear "dressy casual" clothing that are your favorite bright and summery colors! For the ladies, a nice dress or top with skirt and males some nice pants and polo. (Please no white dresses) For the pool party, please feel free to wear your best pool attire! Don't forget sunscreen! For the wedding ceremony and reception, please wear black and cocktail attire. We know this can be a bit annoying especially since it is a bit warmer in June but we would really love to get photos with all of our loved ones that are coordinated. We are not doing a bridal party and we find this will be the easiest way to get some pictures that will last a life time. We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.
The castle works really well with all dietary restrictions. We will be reaching out to everyone once you RSVP for dietary restrictions! We will make sure we have something that will work well for you.