Kimye's bliss, Dante's inferno

For centuries the gilded state rooms of the Palace of Versailles near Paris, and the imposing façade of Florence's Forte di Belvedere, have spoken of the power of the cities' former ruling elites.

But this weekend both were hijacked by an elite of a rather different kind. In an extravagant celebration billed as "the wedding weekend to end all wedding weekends", reality TV star Kim Kardashian married rapper Kanye West in the Italian fort after a party at Versailles.

Even when it was occupied by the powerful Medici dynasty, the 16th-century Belvedere castle never played host to a wedding. But, for à300000 euros (more than R4.2-million), these two titans of our era overcame all objections.

Kardashian first came to prominence in 2007 when her homemade sex tape found its way online. But she has enjoyed far more than 15 minutes of fame, thanks to the shrewd management of her mother, Kris Jenner, who has enlisted the entire family in a reality television series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

West, by contrast, once modestly claimed that he would "go down as the voice of a generation". Since he released his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004, he has won 21 Grammy awards.

The couple, jointly dubbed "Kimye" by the US press, are renowned for their "bling" wardrobes, and have sported "his and hers" gold bracelets. As they prepared to say their vows, the city's cultural elite gathered in the villa next door to hear a reading from The Divine Comedy, organised by the Italian Dante Society.

The clash of high and low culture did not pass unnoticed. Prince Ottaviano de' Medici di Toscana, a descendant of the Medici family, was aghast at the ceremony being held next door.

He said: "Events like this represent a danger to the cultural integrity and historical authenticity of the city. They are selling the city off and many here are disgusted."

This was Kardashian's third marriage: her first, to Damon Thomas, a music producer, lasted three years, and her second, to Kris Humphries, a basketball professional, endured for a mere 72 days.

The couple greeted their guests in the Belvedere's Hall of Mirrors before escorting them around the 17th-century palace. The evening ended with a fireworks display. According to reports, illusionist David Blaine would make the couple "vanish" from the dance floor, and 100 white doves would be released after they had made their vows.

Next door, the Italian Dante Society read a passage from The Divine Comedy in which the author descends into Hell.