Buffon and D'Amico tie the knot in a star-studded Tuscan wedding
Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary Italian goalkeeper, married his long-time partner Ilaria D'Amico during a ceremonious event in Tuscany. Sports and Hollywood stars attended the fairy-tale ceremony.
During the star-studded reception on Saturday, Buffon and D'Amico said "I do" in sunny Versilia in Tuscany. The couple has been together for nearly a decade, and the 46-year-old Buffon proposed to Ilaria back in 2017. However, they decided to wait to marry until after Buffon retired from his sports career, which he finally did in August 2023.
The wedding ceremony occurred on the lawn in front of a large Tuscan-style villa. Ilaria shone in a lace gown by Luisa Beccaria, and Buffon shared photos from the ceremony with his 11 million followers on Instagram, captioning them: "Finalmente, NOI," which means "Finally, US."
Wedding after years. Among the guests were sports and film stars
Among the 250 guests were Buffon’s former teammates from the Azzurri national team, Giorgio Chiellini, Luciano Spalletti, and Leonardo Bonucci. Hollywood glamour was added to the festivities by the presence of director Tim Burton, who attended with his partner Monica Bellucci, who was Ilaria's maid of honour.
The couple's wedding celebration lasted for two days. On Saturday, they hosted a gathering for close relatives and friends. They planned a lavish brunch at a restaurant with a sea view on Sunday.
The goalkeeper's second marriage. The relationship started with a scandal
Before embarking on her media career, Ilaria D'Amico studied law. She is best known for her work with Sky Sports Italy, where she was a presenter and commentator until 2018.
On the other hand, Buffon played professionally until the age of 45, ending his career at his first club, Parma. Gianluigi is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, having played over 1,100 professional matches in a career spanning nearly three decades.
The couple met at a charity dinner, and paparazzi photographed them together in 2014. D'Amico then broke up with her partner, with whom she was raising a son. Gianluigi also divorced Alena Seredova, whom he married in 2011.
I learned from the radio that Gigi was cheating on me. I was the penultimate person to find out. My father found out after me - recalled the Italian goalkeeper's ex-wife in 2018.
The beginning of their relationship was full of scandal, but the footballer's relationship with the journalist, who is five years older, developed harmoniously. Their son was born in 2016.
Thanks to you, Ilaria, I have discovered true love. I did not believe such a feeling could exist - Buffon confessed during his wedding speech.
