Kardashian-Kanye wed in Florence fortress
A view of the Forte Belvedere in Florence, Italy, Saturday, May 24, 2014. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will wed and host a reception at Florence's imposing 16th-century Belvedere Fort on May 24, according to a spokeswoman at the Florence mayor's office. The couple rented the fort, located next to Florence's famed Boboli Gardens, for 300,000 euros ($410,000) and a Protestant minister will preside over the ceremony. Belvedere Fort was built in 1590, believed using plans by Don Giovanni de' Medici. Located near the Arno River, it offers a panoramic view of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan hills. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
FLORENCE, Italy >> Reality star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West wed on Saturday evening in a Renaissance fortress in Florence, the TV network that carries "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" confirmed.
The city’s mayor’s office had said a week earlier that the couple rented Belvedere Fort for a wedding to be performed by a Protestant minister, stirring a flurry of excitement in the entertainment world.
E! spokeswoman Christel Wheeler confirmed the wedding had taken place, noting an article on the network’s website. The story said the couple’s representatives confirmed to E! News that they were married in the private ceremony before family and friends. The bride’s sisters made up the bridal party, and stepdad Bruce Jenner walked her down the aisle, the story said.
The nuptials drew crowds of fans eager to witness the glitzy event, but they were kept far away from the heavily-walled 16th century fortress, which offers stunning views of Florence and surrounding Tuscan hills.
Among the notables sighted arriving in Florence ahead of the nuptials were Steve McQueen, director of Oscar-winner "12 Years a Slave"; Lala Anthony, wife of NY Knicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony; Jaden Smith, the teenage son of Will and Jada Smith; and Joe Francis of "Girls Gone Wild" fame.
West, 36, proposed to Kardashian, 33, in October on her birthday. He rented out San Francisco’s AT&T Park to pop the question.
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The rapper was recently quoted in the Florence newspaper La Nazione as saying he and Kardashian had come to Florence previously incognito and he believed that their daughter, North, was conceived "among the Renaissance masterpieces." The baby was born in June 2013.
It is the first marriage for West, and the third for Kardashian. Her last marriage, to professional basketball player Kris Humphries, in 2011, lasted 72 days. That ceremony was featured in a two-part TV special.
The city’s mayor’s office last week had said that the 300,000 euro ($420,000) rental fee for the fort would help fund restorations of Florence’s art treasures.
