MONTALCINO, Siena

It was a nerve-racking wait, with the ceremony nearly two hours late after Montalcino Mayor Silvio Franceschelli had given only a vague indication of when it would take place.

Then, as a crowd of fewer than 200 fans, photographers and reporters began tiring of standing behind barricades outside the Teatro degli Astrusi, Damiano David and Dove Cameron appeared at 6:50 p.m., dressed in white and riding in a vintage Lancia Flavia convertible. They pulled up in front of Palazzo dei Priori, home to Montalcino’s City Hall, and went upstairs to get married.

Waiting for them in a room that could hold about 50 people were family members — Damiano’s parents, Rosa Scognamiglio and Daniele David, and Dove Cameron’s mother, Bonnie Wallace along with friends, the Firenze Classica ensemble and the mayor. The ceremony was conducted in English by a native speaker, in keeping with the bride’s nationality.

The entrance to City Hall had been decorated with a large white drape and baskets of white lilies. Nothing particularly original or unconventional, but at any wedding, the bride gets to choose the decorations. In this case, the wedding planner was Alessandra Grillo, whose main task appeared to be keeping reporters and photographers at bay. Grillo is best known for organizing Chiara Ferragni and Fedez’s wedding in Noto several years ago, as well as the more recent wedding of Dua Lipa and Callum Turner in Palermo, Sicily.

“I congratulated Damiano David and Dove Cameron on their marriage,” Mayor and Democratic Party Sen. Silvio Franceschelli said after the ceremony, “and wished them as peaceful a life as possible, as I have done for every couple who gets married in Montalcino. We’re accustomed to celebrity events and weddings involving famous people because there are several properties here that host major receptions. Castiglion del Bosco for Damiano and Dove, for example, or Castello di Velona, chosen by Paola Turci and Francesca Pascale, whose wedding I officiated on July 2, 2022.”

That turned out not to be an auspicious precedent: the relationship between the singer and Silvio Berlusconi’s former partner ended amid accusations and controversy a year and a half later.

The mayor gave the newlyweds a magnum of 2021 Brunello, with a label signed by chef Carlo Cracco, according to Montalcinonews.

But back to the wedding of the 27-year-old former Måneskin frontman, winner of both the Sanremo Music Festival and the Eurovision Song Contest, and Dove Cameron, whose legal name is Chloe Celeste Hosterman, the popular American pop singer and actress who starred in Disney sitcoms and TV series.

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The ceremony took place in Montalcino, where security measures were tightened far too much and far too early for the people who had gathered to watch. The other Måneskin members — Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi and Ethan Torchio — were nowhere to be seen at City Hall, despite fans scanning the square for the bandmates, hoping for a preview of the reunion many would like to see at the Sanremo Festival. They will probably go directly to the reception, however.

At 7:25 p.m., Damiano and Dove emerged from City Hall, kissed for the cameras and photographers, and drove away. Along with family and guests, they were expected at the dazzling Castiglion del Bosco resort, formerly owned by the Ferragamo family and now one of the jewels of the Rosewood Hotels group.

The estate has 42 suites and 11 villas, as well as a Spa, Golf Club, historic winery and Michelin-starred Campo del Drago restaurant, run by Chef Matteo Temperini. Damiano and Dove have booked the property for three days, through Saturday. The official reception is scheduled for tonight.

In May 2017, former U.S. President Barack Obama played golf at Castiglion del Bosco while his wife, Michelle, shopped for delicacies in downtown Montalcino. Paul McCartney chose the estate to celebrate his 70th birthday in 2012. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, George Clooney and Adam Sandler are also among the VIP guests who have chosen Montalcino and the Brunello wine country for a relaxing getaway.

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