Revealed: Kim and Kanye splash out $400,000 to rent 16th Century Florence fortress for wedding party... but they may tie the knot at Versailles!

• Rapper's designer friend Ermanno Scervino confirmed venue to MailOnline
• The 33-year-old reality star set to marry rapper Kanye West next Saturday
• Kanye revealed he chose Florence because North was conceived there
• Rapper has been staying with Ermanno Scervino, outside Florence
• The venue is a fortress built for the ruling Medici family of Florence
• Rapper revealed he secretly visited Italy last year with Kim 'incognito'
  
• Florence Mayor today confirms wedding and says couple rented Fort for 300,000 Euros ($410,000)
• E! and TMZ both reported Friday afternoon that the couple will wed in Versailles, outside Paris 
  

By Hannah Roberts and Sara Nathan

Published: 09:00 EDT, 16 May 2014 | Updated: 18:06 EDT, 16 May 2014

It is the most hotly anticipated wedding of the year.

And now Mail Online can reveal that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s fairytale wedding will take place at a sixteenth century castle in Florence, with a dark history.

The pair will marry next weekend in front of 1000 guests at the famous Florentine landmark Forte Belvedere, Kanye’s close friend Italian fashion designer Ermanno Scervino has confirmed.

This afternoon, despite confirmation from both Mr Scervino AND the Mayor of Florence, E! reported and then TMZ sources also claimed the couple were set to tie the knot in Versailles, just outside Paris.

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Mail Online can reveal that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's fairytale wedding will take place at a sixteenth century castle in Florence, with a dark history

Location, location: The rapper revealed he chose Florence because their daughter North was conceived there

Historical landmark: Forte Belvedere, where Kim and Kanye plan to marry next weekend, was built in 1590 for the Grand Duke Ferdinando di Medici to protect the city and to demonstrate the power and wealth of the family

After a period of closure the fortress was finally reopened last year and Kanye has been hard at work organising the surprise wedding for third time bride Kim, Italian friends say

The venue has a tragic past - two young people fell from the ramparts in 2006 and 2008, prompting the authorities to close the venue

Kim and Kanye visisted the Palace of Versailles for an official tour in January - but their request to have their wedding at the venue was said to have been denied.

They were believed to be hosting about 100 guests at a pre-wedding dinner in Paris before flying them to Florence.

Their venue, a fortress built for the ruling Medici family of Florence, is a spectacular setting for their nuptials.

Today, Elisa Di Lupo, a spokeswoman for the Mayor of Florence, confirmed to the Associated Press the couple would wed in Florence next Saturday and revealed they had rented the imposing fort for 300,000 euros ($410,000). She said a a Protestant minister will preside over the nuptials.

The venue has a tragic past, however. Two young people fell from the ramparts in 2006 and 2008, prompting the authorities to close the venue.

It was finally reopened last year and Kanye has been hard at work organising the surprise wedding for third time bride Kim, Italian friends say.

The rapper has revealed he chose Florence because their daughter North was conceived there.

Kanye knows the city well because he has clothes for his label made in the city’s garment district and the couple holidayed there in 2012 to celebrate Kim’s 32nd birthday.

But could it be? Other reports on Friday afternoon claim the couple is planning to tie the knot here, at the Palace of Versailles

Kim Kardashian arriving at LAX following a flight from New York today. Previously Kim said the couple were planning to tie the knot in Paris

Ermanno Scervino is a close friend of Kanye West and confirmed the venue to MailOnline

He told Florentine news website La Nazione: ‘For me Florence is the most beautiful European city and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

‘But the real reason is that Kim and I were on the banks of the river Arno last year on our own incognito. And I think that our daughter North was conceived here amongst the Renaissance masterpieces.

‘It was as if it was our first honeymoon.

The rapper said he was feeling ‘emotional' about the big day. He told La Nazione: ‘I’m quite emotional. But also happy. I am a romantic. ‘

Kanye has been staying with designer friend Ermanno Scervino, outside Florence, while he makes the final plans for the wedding, the designer’s spokesman confirmed.

‘It’s true. Ermanno has been helping Kanye organise the wedding in Forte Belvedere. They met in Paris earlier this year and have become great friends.’

West has spent "several days" in Florence this week, says a source, and has been meeting with Ermanno Scervino at the Italian designer's atelier, according to People.,

That has fueled speculation that the bride or groom, or both, will wear his designs.

Both have donned Scervino fashions in the past, and Kim memorably stepped out in a lace Scervino creation in Las Vegas in October while celebrating her 33rd birthday.

Previously Kim said the couple were planning to tie the knot in Paris.

But the couple are now set to have a pre-wedding dinner in Paris. After the meal the guests will be whisked away in private planes to Florence for the actual wedding ceremony the next day, Entertainment Tonight reported.

Grey and gold wedding invitations went out in April; guests were asked to wear cocktail attire for a dinner in Paris on May 23 at 6 pm. But the wedding location was not disclosed.

Enlarge  

Ciao baby: The rapper revealed the couple's daughter North was conceived in the Italian city

The couple visited Florence as part of Kim's 32nd birthday trip in October 2012, pictured, and Kanye knows the city well because he has clothes for his label made in the city's garment district

The famous couple are both fans of Ermanno Scervino. Kanye (left) wears a $3k Ermanno Scervino fur-lined coat in 2013 and Kim wears a Ermanno Scervino white lace two-piece to celebrate her 33rd birthday

The fortress has a chequered history. It was built in 1590 for the Grand Duke Ferdinando di Medici to protect the city and to demonstrate the power and wealth of the family.

Until the 20th century it was used to garrison troops and then for exhibitions and events.

The sweeping panorama over Florence from above the famous Boboli gardens is among the city’s most breathtaking. 

But in 2008 artist and filmmaker Veronica Locatelli fell to her death from the fortress’ bastions in an unexplained tragedy.

The 37-year-old was celebrating her birthday at the bar which was hosting a party to celebrate an exhibition by fashion photographer David La Chapelle.

She had her wedding shower at The Peninsula Hotel on Saturday in Beverly Hills where brioche French toast, smoked bacon and chocolate cake were served

The dress: It has been speculated Kim will wear Lanvin, which she modeled for the April cover of Vogue; on Tuesday designer Vera Wang said the gown will be a 'momentous fashion statement'

At she went to greet friends she was spotted by a security guard near the ramparts.

The guard says that he called out to warn her to stay away from the low wall above the gorge, but his efforts were futile.

She slipped and plummeted ten metres, suffering a fatal head trauma.

Just two years before, a 20-year-old visitor from Rome, Luca Raso, who was holidaying with friends in the city fell in the same location. He too died.

The centuries old stronghold was immediately shut for an investigation, and been under restoration works until last summer. 

Kim has not been seen in Italy lately but has been visiting Paris off and on for the past few months.

She had her wedding shower at The Peninsula Hotel on Saturday in Beverly Hills where brioche French toast, smoked bacon and chocolate cake were served.

She looked stunning in a white dress with a pearl strap.

A SIXTEENTH CENTURY CASTLE WITH A DARK HISTORY

The fortress has a chequered history. It was built in 1590 for the Grand Duke Ferdinando di Medici to protect the city and to demonstrate the power and wealth of the family.

Until the 20th century it was used to garrison troops and then for exhibitions and events.

The sweeping panorama over Florence from above the famous Boboli gardens is among the city’s most breathtaking. 

But in 2008 artist and filmmaker Veronica Locatelli fell to her death from the fortress’ bastions in an unexplained tragedy.

The 37-year-old was celebrating her birthday at the bar which was hosting a party to celebrate an exhibition by fashion photographer David La Chapelle.

At she went to greet friends she was spotted by a security guard near the ramparts. The guard says that he called out to warn her to stay away from the low wall above the gorge, but his efforts were futile.

She slipped and plummeted ten metres, suffering a fatal head trauma.

Just two years before, a 20-year-old visitor from Rome, Luca Raso, who was holidaying with friends in the city fell in the same location. He too died.

The centuries old stronghold was immediately shut for an investigation, and been under restoration works until last summer.