![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-2-1024x682.jpg\")
\nChapter One: A Promise to My Mother<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mariam: <\/strong>Since I was a child, my mother always told me, \u201cYou are very lucky.\u201d I believed her completely. Even during hard times, I never forgot her words. I think support and belief from a parent is the most precious gift in life. It gives us strength to move forward.<\/p>\n When I was 21, my mother passed away. It felt like I lost the ground under my feet. I wasn\u2019t ready for that kind of pain.<\/p>\n Every time something difficult happens in life, I try to focus on something new. That helps me find strength. After my mother died, I started listening and learning to Georgian folk music – we both loved it. Later, this interest brought me and Carlo closer. It gave me peace, and I felt like I could still connect with my mom\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n Even when she was unconscious in the hospital, I still had hope she would recover. I made a promise to her – that one day we would be happy. So after she left us, I tried to stay strong and live with more purpose.<\/p>\n Today, after everything, I am standing on my feet and living the promise I made to her. That makes me feel double happiness. I believe my mom is proud and shares this happiness with me.<\/p>\n Mariam: <\/strong>In 2019, I ended my marriage and decided to focus on myself. I started working on my career and my body. I became a fitness trainer and wanted to help other women feel stronger – both mentally and physically. In 2021, I was working as a pharmacy manager and studying to pass an important career exam.<\/p>\n Even though I had a clear plan, deep down I was still wishing to meet someone special. Sometimes you can\u2019t stop your mind from dreaming.<\/p>\n One day, just for fun, a friend took some photos of me. I wanted one with a piano. I don\u2019t really play piano, but it felt right. In the photo that later caught Carlo\u2019s eye, I had no makeup. Maybe that\u2019s why he liked it – it was natural and real.<\/p>\n Carlo: <\/strong>When I saw Mariam\u2019s photo online, I was amazed. She was so beautiful. I stopped and looked again. Then I knew – I wanted to meet her. I wrote to her: \u201cBellissima!\u201d<\/p>\n I first visited Georgia in 2016, thanks to Nino Surguladze, who also sang at our wedding. Usually, when someone falls in love, there\u2019s a special feeling. Maybe it\u2019s beauty, maybe it\u2019s a spark in their soul. You feel that you\u2019ve met someone familiar – even if it\u2019s the first time. That\u2019s what happened when I saw Mariam\u2019s photo.<\/p>\n She looked calm and elegant near the piano. At first, I even thought she was a pianist. I wanted to work together – that\u2019s how I started the conversation.<\/p>\n Mariam: <\/strong>Carlo owns a music school in Los Angeles. He wrote to me from the school\u2019s official page. So I didn\u2019t know who I was really talking to. Usually admins manage those pages, and I thought it was the same here.<\/p>\n He later mentioned that a film made by my brother and mother was being considered for an Oscar. That got me curious. I asked who they were – and that\u2019s when I found out the truth: I was talking to Carlo Ponti, son of Sofia Loren.<\/p>\n It was hard to believe. I called the friend who took my photos, and she told me to be careful \u2013 maybe someone is pretending. So I asked Carlo to send me a selfie. Instead, he suggested a video call. I usually don\u2019t like video calls – but I said yes. I guess my curiosity was stronger.<\/p>\n Carlo: <\/strong>One week after we started talking, Mariam disappeared. I was surprised and worried. Maybe she lost interest? Maybe she was testing me? I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it. When we started talking again, I appreciated our connection even more. I felt lucky to find someone so special in such a big world.<\/p>\n Everything between us developed naturally – that\u2019s how real love should be. A strong relationship needs two things: peace and comfort. It can start with passion, but without calm and safety, it won\u2019t last. Mariam gave me that peaceful feeling from the beginning.<\/p>\n We met in March, and I came to Georgia in April. I had work in Los Angeles, but because of COVID rules, I couldn\u2019t fly directly from Europe to the U.S. I had to stay in a third country for two weeks. So I chose Georgia. But the real reason for my visit was Mariam.<\/p>\n She drove me to my hotel and said we\u2019d talk later. I was a little shocked – I thought she\u2019d stay and have dinner with me!<\/p>\n Mariam: <\/strong>When I saw Carlo at the airport, I still wasn\u2019t sure how I felt. Yes, we had good communication, but I didn\u2019t know if I was truly ready.<\/p>\n I was excited, of course – it\u2019s not every day you meet a great maestro! Carlo impressed me with his humility and kindness. Even though he is successful, comes from a famous family, and is a strong person, he never acts proud or better than others.<\/p>\n The same is true for his family. When I met Sofia Loren and lived with them for a while, I saw how simple and kind she is. She even teaches me Italian! Great people are usually humble – that\u2019s what makes them even greater.<\/p>\n Carlo: <\/strong>When I first came to Georgia, we took a short trip to Mtskheta and Borjomi. On the way, we stopped at Samtavro Monastery – that\u2019s where we later got married.<\/p>\n Mariam wanted to pray for her mother\u2019s soul. She covered her head, walked to the altar, and stayed silent for a moment. Then she went to Saint Gabriel\u2019s grave. Watching her pray was very emotional. She looked so pure and peaceful. I started crying.<\/p>\n Mariam: <\/strong>Carlo already had feelings for me, but he\u2019s from a different culture, so I was careful. I have deep love for Saint Gabriel, and I asked him to bless our relationship – if it was God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n A few minutes later, outside the church, I saw tears in Carlo\u2019s eyes. He hugged me and said he was very touched. He told me, \u201cNow I know how much you mean to me.\u201d<\/p>\n That was the moment I knew – he truly loved me.<\/p>\n Sofia Loren\u2019s son, the famous conductor Carlo Ponti, and his Georgian fianc\u00e9e Mariam Sharmanashvili got married on July 26 at the Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta. The star couple welcomed guests with a very special wedding celebration. Many important guests from Georgia, Italy, and other countries attended the ceremony. In an exclusive interview with N13, Carlo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"no-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[356,357,350],"class_list":["post-4801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-persona-en","tag-carlo-ponti","tag-sofia-loren","tag-mariam-sharmanashvili"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-3-682x1024.jpg\")
\nChapter Two: A Destiny Written on Social Media<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-13-1024x997.jpg\")
\nOur story is truly touched by fate. We met on Instagram. But I had been to Georgia before – maybe we could\u2019ve met in real life. But in those times, we were living different lives.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-7-1024x682.jpg\")
\nChapter Three: Step by Step – Falling in Love<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-10-885x1024.jpg\")
\nBefore our first meeting, I was nervous. We had talked a lot, but real life is different. When I saw her at the airport, I felt the connection immediately. I was so happy. I couldn\u2019t stop talking. Mariam just smiled and agreed with everything I said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-11-1024x682.jpg\")
\nChapter Four: Realizing It\u2019s Love<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nargismagazine.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-9-1024x682.jpg\")
\nInterview: Tatuli Gvinianidze
\nPhoto: Frame me \/ Marina Karpiy
\nEvent Organizer: Click Events \/ Click Wedding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"