Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
Kanye West (R) drapes his arm over the shoulder of Kim Kardashian as they watch a showing of the Marchesa Spring/Summer 2013 collection during New York Fashion Week, Sept.12, 2012. Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will get married at Florence’s 16th-century Belvedere fort in Italy on May 24, an official from the Florence mayor's office confirmed on Friday.

The ceremony, which was previously planned to take place in France, will now take place in the fort located near the famed Boboli Gardens. The building, which was completed in 1950, reopened to the public in 2013 after being closed for five years due to renovations. The pair has reportedly paid $410,000 as rent for the occasion.

"I love Florence, I love Italy and the Italian lifestyle," West reportedly told Florence's La Nazione newspaper. "And I think we conceived our daughter North here, among the masterpieces of the Renaissance. It was our first honeymoon." He added: "It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, for me the most beautiful in Europe."

According to reports, the castle is not an authorized site for weddings, thus it remains unclear whether it will be an officially recognized marriage ceremony or just a celebration.

An invitation previously leaked featured a pre-wedding dinner on May 23 in Paris, but did not mention the wedding venue. The festivities will reportedly kick off in Paris following which the guests will head to Italy for the nuptials.

“Quite emotional. But very happy. I'm a romantic: I gave Kim a wall of flowers for Mother's Day. Family is everything for me, it's the antidote to the stresses of fame. Family and creativity relax me," West reportedly told La Nazione newspaper, when he was asked about his feelings as the day approached.

The 36-year-old rapper proposed to the reality star in October 2013. This will be the first marriage for West, who was previously engaged to designer Alexis Phifer; Kardashian was married to music producer Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2003 and spent 72 days married to professional basketball player Kris Humphries in 2011.