Giovanni Calvario, a 36-year-old participant on Love Is Blind: Italy, has become a central figure in the show’s first season. His conversations about growing up in a large family and his views on love have defined his journey on the Netflix reality series. Viewers saw Giovanni navigate relationships in the pods before proposing to Giorgia Paselli, a 35-year-old genetic biologist. The couple’s story, which includes a memorable first meeting and discussions about their upbringing, is a key part of the show’s debut season.
Giovanni’s Background and Career Before the Show
Based in Rome, Giovanni works as an event planner and manager. His career is deeply connected to Italy’s cultural scene. He is involved with projects like Boanerghes, an events agency, and Dopocinema, an initiative that organizes cinema-related talks and screenings in unique locations around Rome.
One of his major passions is Castel Futuro, a project he has launched in the Italian countryside. He describes it as a creative and ecological hub designed to host cultural festivals, artist residencies, and retreats. On his social media, he openly invites people to “come live in a castle” with him, showcasing his commitment to building this community.
In addition to event planning, Giovanni is also a magician and stages his own illusion shows, blending performance art into his professional life.
Forming Connections in the Pods
On Love Is Blind: Italy, Giovanni formed early connections with two women: Giorgia Paselli and Gergana Lazarova. After a period of deep conversation, he chose to pursue a relationship with Giorgia, ending his connection with Gergana.
His proposal to Giorgia was a poetic moment inside the pod. He recited a poem that began, “To make sure you hear me. My words sometimes grow thin…” before kneeling and asking, “Gio-Gio, do you want now or in the future to smile with me, argue with me, and make love afterwards every time?”.
Giorgia accepted, telling him, “I blindly do too”.
When they met face-to-face for the first time after the engagement, both expressed nerves and excitement. Giorga noted he looked like “a real man,” which she liked, and Giovanni knelt to propose to her again.
Giovanni Opens Up About His Family and Values
A significant part of Giovanni’s story on the show involves him sharing personal history with Giorgia. He explained that he grew up in a “very Catholic” and “huge family”. This upbringing had a lasting impact on what he wants for his own future.
“I grew up in a huge family, and I wanted to have that in my life,” he shared with Giorgia during their time at the couples’ retreat in Morocco.
He pointed to his grandparents as his model for lasting love. He told Giorgia about remembering “my grandfather’s trembling hand when my grandmother died,” after sixty years together. This moment taught him about deep devotion, and he expressed a desire to offer that same kind of love to a partner.
While shaped by his Catholic upbringing, Giovanni clarified to Giorgia that he now considers himself more spiritual than religious. He explained that in certain environments, people can grow up believing sexuality is only for procreation, but he does not hold that view. Giorgia was relieved by this, noting that a strict religious perspective would have made for a “rough start”.
Giorgia was visibly moved by Giovanni’s stories about his family. After hearing about his grandparents, she told him, “That made me emotional. Wow”.
Life After the Pods and Viewer Reactions
After leaving the pods, the engaged couples traveled to Morocco for a retreat. The first night together in their villa was a mix of discovery and awkwardness as they connected voices to faces. Giovanni confessed that touching Giorgia felt awkward at first because he was so used to only her voice.
“I spent a lot of time listening to her. Now I have to spend time looking at her. So it’s a mix of awkwardness and discovery, and this is both beautiful and delicate,” he said.
He chose to sleep on the couch that first night, a detail that later became a topic of discussion.
Giovanni’s behavior on the show has sparked strong reactions from viewers. Online comments describe him in conflicting ways. Some find him charming, while others question his sincerity. One viewer called him “quite the player, smooth in a way that raises questions about his sincerity,” and another stated they found him unlikable from his first words. The show’s reunion special highlighted further disagreements between Giovanni and other cast members.
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Since the season wrapped, Giovanni has remained active on social media, often posting about his Castel Futuro project and engaging with fellow cast members like Nicola and Karen. He has also posted content that looks back on his time with Gergana, tagging her in a reflective reel. At times, he engages with the criticism he’s received online by posting cheeky content that seems to playfully acknowledge being called a “red flag” by some viewers.
Love Is Blind: Italy Season 1, hosted by Benedetta Parodi and Fabio Caressa, is currently streaming on Netflix. The season features 24 singles and follows the established format of engagements formed without ever seeing each other.
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