She walked the long nave of the Church of San Zaccaria, in Venice, with a sure-footed but visibly moved step on the arm of her father Roberto to say yes to
Matteo Giunta
.
Federica Pellegrini
married her coach in the afternoon - 45 minutes late - during a highly secure religious ceremony, officiated by her former parish priest of Spinea, Don Antonio Genovese.
The church was literally covered with baskets of white clustered roses softened with touches of green.
There are many famous faces in the church, one of the most beautiful in the lagoon city, famous for the works of Palma il Giovane and Bellini that are kept there.
Among these the president of Coni
Giovanni Malagò
.
To witness the 'Divina' is her brother Alessandro, to whom the former swimmer is particularly attached.
In addition to the presence of five bridesmaids, Federica also wanted the couple's four French bulldogs to be present at the event.
After the yes and the usual photos, the couple will move to the JW Marriott Venice Resort on the Isola delle Rose, in the middle of the lagoon, for a dinner to which 160 guests are expected.
In the evening Federica and Matteo will return to the historic center to spend their wedding night at the Hotel Danieli, the same hotel chosen by Giunta to ask for her hand.
It was Pellegrini herself, a guest on TV for the first time with her boyfriend on August 7 last year at Verissimo 'on Canale 5, who revealed the wedding date.
"We will get married towards the end of August. And we will do it in my hometown, Venice - said the 2008 Olympian from Beijing -. I did not think that organizing a wedding was so complicated, but we are at a good point".
And she added: "We can't wait
for it to happen: we want to crown our story and start a new journey together".
And to Silvia Toffanin who asked her about the day of the proposal, the Olympic champion recalled: "It was a moment that I will never forget. I did not expect the proposal to arrive so quickly, I thought that after my retirement from the competitions Matteo made more time".
The one between Federica and Matteo is a love story born by the pool.
Pellegrini, in fact, chose Giunta as his coach in 2014. "We have been together for almost four years now, but ours has been a journey full of emotions - he said in the past - first only sports, only then did the feelings take over" .
And on the choice to formalize their love live from Tokyo he said: "It was exciting. After the last Olympic competition I decided to free ourselves and to reveal this secret of Pulcinella. Now we are living everything in the light of the sun, and it is beautiful. ".
ANSA.it
Enzo Miccio controls the preparations for the wedding of Federica Pellegrini and Matteo Giunta - Sport
Final preparations for the wedding in the church of San Zaccaria in Venice (ANSA)