This magical setting provides the perfect backdrop for a storybook ending.
By: Laurel CardoneVilla Cora, Florence, Italy
When actress Melissa Joan Hart, star of television's Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, fell under the spell of bella Italy while shooting Sabrina Goes to Rome in 1998, she vowed that, one day, she'd be married there. Never underestimate the powers of a witch, even a make-believe one: Last July, Hart exchanged "I dos" with musician Mark Wilkerson in a magical ceremony at Florence's Grand Hotel Villa Cora.
The opulent villa lies just a 10-minute drive across the Arno River from Florence, and yet a world away from the urban bustle. It was built in 1865 by a baron for his beloved baroness, and the pair hosted many lavish balls there. It's easy to recall this storybook past on a stroll through the sumptuous public salons, with their glittering chandeliers. While each one of the 47 guest rooms is furnished differently, all retain an air of 19th-century charm. Guests can swim in the villa's aqua-colored pool and play golf or tennis nearby.
Villa Cora provides complimentary transportation to the city center, where you can wander through the Uffizi museum, which houses the finest art collection in the country. (Even Sabrina herself would be hard-pressed to conjure up this astounding trove of treasures.) Then, hit the shops, especially the gold jewelry boutiques on the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Return to the villa to dine on Italian specialties at the hotel's tavern. With glasses of Prosecco, Italy's sparkling wine, you can toast to your enchanted honeymoon. For more information visit villacora.it.
