Villa Pandolfi Elmi

Nestled in the valley below Spello, Villa Pandolfi Elmi has stood since the mid-18th century, its elegant architecture framed by olive groves and sweeping views of the medieval town. Behind the villa lies a small chapel with a curious reputation. Built shortly before 1746, its first recorded mass coincided with the feast of San Pasquale Baylon, a Spanish friar canonized for his devotion to the Eucharist. His relics rest within the chapel, and for generations, women have invoked his aid in finding a husband—sometimes reciting a traditional Neapolitan rhyme:

San Pasquale Baylonne Protettore delle donne, fammi trovare marito, bianco, rosso e colorito, come te, tale quale, o glorioso san pasquale!

Saint Paschal Baylon, Protector of women, help me find a husband, fair, rosy, and full of color, just like you, exactly so, oh glorious Saint Paschal!

The villa itself has a storied past, once home to monsignors and later to the noble Pandolfi Elmi family, who oversaw harvests of wheat, grapes, and olives from these fertile Umbrian hills. Today, part of the villa operates as a guesthouse, but the chapel remains consecrated and steeped in legend. Locals—and some visitors—swear that San Pasquale still answers prayers. One recent retreat group claims that every woman present found love within a year of visiting the chapel. Coincidence? Or the enduring power of a saint whose bones rest quietly behind this villa's door?