About us

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Mario Santoro dedicated much of his life to his artistic career as a photographer. He exhibited his works in the USA, Japan and Europe. In the last 10 years he lived in Umbria, where he constructed a photography studio of 400 squared metres where he continues producing his photography. In the meantime, he transformed the family Estate into a farm and a welcoming accomodation for international guests. The TodiCastle Estate includes a medieval castle and three farmhouses, immersed in nature and uncontaminated in the vicinity of Todi.

Mario was born in Cuba in 1968. His father, Geppi, was an Ambassador to Canada, Tunisia, United Nations, and Cuba. During those years the Santoro family had the opportunity to encounter and appreciate many diverse cultures and cuisines. His mother, Ingrid, took great advantage of these opportunities to develop her cooking talent and learn how to cook dishes from each place where they lived. Therefore, Mario grew-up in an environment where the food culture was international, with a grand passion for all cultures and cuisines.

At TodiCastle Mario has created his ideal microcosm and a great ecological environment, where he included the best Umbrian wines and quality food. This is the result of his constant and accurate work and research. At the Estate, both wine and olive oil are produced. Also, there is an orchard and vegetable garden. All the products are organic and, because of the small production, are exclusively used by the Santoro family and for guests and tourists. In the last years, he also developed his talent for cooking primarily using ingredients from the TodiCastle Estate and local farms. He enjoys giving cooking classes to his guests specializing in pasta, risotto and vegetables.

Mario likes to repeat, “I do not eat to live, but live to eat.”