Tom and Katie's haunted wedding

Nov 16, 2006, 8:00 GMT

The Italian castle where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting married is haunted.

The Hollywood couple are expected to tie the knot in Rome this weekend at Odescalchi Castle, which is said to be frequented by the ghost of a murdered duchess.

The grand property was built on the picturesque shores of Lake Bracciano in the second half of the 15th century for the aristocratic Orsini family.

Legend has it that Paolo Giordano I Orsini's much younger wife, Isabella de'Medici, would let her lovers into her chambers through a secret door. Those that did not satisfy her were flung out of a separate door down a spiked well.

When the ruthless and violent Paolo - who became known as the Duke of Bracciano - discovered his wife was enjoying extra-marital activities he hatched a plan to murder her while on holiday at the family's home in Florence.

During dinner one night the duke leaned in to kiss his wife and garrotted her.

Local folklore states that in vengeance of her murder Isabella haunts the chambers of the castle where she lived, where Tom and Kate are set to say their 'I dos'.

Bizarrely Tom's adopted 13-year-old daughter with ex-wife Nicole Kidman is called Isabella.

Following Isabella's murder the duke fled to Rome where he became involved with a married women and had her husband killed. The adulterous pair escaped to northern Italy where they were married, but the duke died in the same year.

(C) BANG Media International