Ischia Gears for Venus Williams’ Wedding

Ischia: The iconic Bay of Naples island of Ischia is gearing to stage the wedding this Friday of American former tennis star Venus Williams and her Danish-Italian former model and actor fianc¨ Andrea Preti. Williams, the former world No. 1, is the elder of the Williams sisters, at 45 years of age to her more successful younger sister Serena’s 43. She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, having won forty-nine WTA titles as well as seven Grand Slam singles tournaments out of sixteen finals.

According to Ansa News Agency, the love between the ‘green island’ and Venus Williams blossomed last year when the tennis player vacationed in Sant’Angelo, a picturesque village on the southern coast of Ischia. It was on that occasion that she chose the island as the location for a wedding that promises to be a fairytale. The wedding will be celebrated at the Punta Imperatore lighthouse, which stands on a promontory overlooking the sea and is one of the most evocative spots in the entire Gulf of Naples. It offers breathtaking sea views and is accessible only on foot via a path carved into the tuff rock with 155 steps.

After the wedding ceremony, the festivities will take place at Lisola, a restaurant opened last year by chef Nino Di Costanzo with pizza chef Ivano Veccia. For the occasion, the restaurant will be secure, with a slew of security personnel to ensure the privacy of the newlyweds and their guests. The guest list is still top secret, although several celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment have been rumored to be arriving in Ischia for days.

Venus and Serena Williams, along with their family and the wedding planning staff, arrived in Ischia a few days ago, and their presence has not gone unnoticed. Tomorrow evening, the newlyweds’ families will gather for dinner at a seaside restaurant they’ll reach by boat: a dinner featuring Neapolitan cuisine. Venus Williams made a short-lived return to competition at the recent US Open.