Love, that exempts no one beloved from loving,
Seized me with pleasure of this man so strongly,
That, as thou seest, it doth not yet desert me.
These lines – taken from Dante’s Inferno – have been part of the collective imaginary for a very a long time. They are about passion, love and broken hearts and, at a few days from Saint Valentine’s day, we wish to tell you a story, the true story that inspired the famous poet from Florence.
Francesca was the beautiful daughter of the Lord of Ravenna, Guido da Polenta, who compelled her to get married to the Lord of Rimini, Gianciotto Malatesta, most probably to confirm an alliance between the two families.
Francesca looked really beautiful and was ready to fall in love. The marriage with Gianciotto, though, had nothing to do with love, as it was the result of a mere political alliance between two powerful families of Romagna. The story tells that Francesca fell for the wrong man. In fact, she was made to marry Paolo, young and handsome, who stood at the wedding as proxy for his brother Gianciotto, older and lame. Paolo and Francesca desperately fell in love with each other and often met at the Gradara Castle, secretly. This is where the couple had exchanged a loving gaze for the first time, whilst reading the story of Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. Gianciotto found out about the lovers and one day, with a trick, he surprised them together. He killed them both with his sword, blinded as he was by his jealousy.
Paolo and Francesca – whom Dante meets in in the Circle of Lust – stand for true love, with no limits nor barriers, they stand for love above all.
To breathe in the atmosphere “Love is in the air”, to nicely surprise your partner with an appointment both with love and culture, we suggest a visit to the Castello di Gradara, the historical castle with its history in a beautiful medieval setting.
There, will you find all the ingredients for your romantic getaway: the hill overlooking the valley and the sea, a thick wood, a castle with a tower and
ochre tinted walls that stands out against the green shades of the hills and the blue of the sky.
You Saint Valentine’s program?
Here it is, ready for you!
Day 1
After visiting the castle, move to the nearby town of Cesenatico and take a stroll along its romantic-port-canal designed by Leonardo in 1502.
Then, to warm up your hearts, get inside the beautiful five star Grand Hotel da Vinci for a candle lit dinner: love and taste beautifully combine! Ignite your passion with the delicious recipes of the chef Alessandro Trovato at the Monnalisa Restaurant. And, to finish off beautifully this magic day, choose to spend the night in a fabulous suite with fireplace and enjoy the atmosphere with a nice glass of wine…
Day 2
Room service breakfast: wake up to a rich breakfast with a variety of homemade pastries and cakes.
To make your day really special, book the hotel’s private spa, just for the two of you, for a sauna, a Jacuzzi and a couple massage for maximum relaxation in a dream like atmosphere. This is true luxury!
On your Valentine’s day, this is your Love gift!
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