Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian
Saturday morning, November 26, marked an historic day for the Chianti territory. Richard and Ciaran gave their “I do’s” in the first same-sex union celebrated in the area.
Richard Castle, originally from Great Britain and Ciaran Logan, a native of Ireland, have been together for almost 30 years.
Richard has a sunny disposition while Ciaran is reserved and intense. Theirs is a love story lived between the United Kingdom and Chiant and nurtured by both professional and human characteristics.
“After so many years, this moment has finally arrived”, revealed Richard. “I fought many battles, small large and small, in the 1970s in London with my Gay pride pin proudly on my chest. Finally, a law that includes and does not discriminate, that cknowledges equal rights for all citizens, despite their sexual orientation, has passed”. 
“It is also true”, said Ciaran, “that not having these rights has much influenced my way of being today. However, I am happy to be able to sanctify our union today, an event I hadn’t hoped for, one in which friends and relatives are enthusiastic as we are”.
The emotional ceremony took place in front of 50 guests, both heterosexual and homosexual, who arrived from all over the world for the occasion.
For the Mayor of Greve, Paolo Sottani, who officiated at the ceremony, this is “not a formal but important union, a love story that has tied Richard and Ciaran for many years and which finally can be sanctified by a public act, thanks to the laws on civil unions”.