Carola del Bianco was fifteen when she first posed for Para Ti. Since then, she has appeared on countless covers and in numerous shoots that she no longer recalls the exact count. “At one point I put all the covers in a frame and there were many,” she said during her return to the studio.
This time, however, she did not arrive alone. For the Mother’s Day special edition, she was accompanied by three of the four children she had with Francisco “Paquito” Mayorga, with whom she started a family 32 years ago: Maia, 20; Elisa, 17, and Isabel, 13. The youngest, Francisco, 11, completed the scene from the story—a table dominated by women.
During the chat with Priscila Crivocapic, differences between the sisters, family rituals, and the bond that unites them surfaced. The most intimate portrait of Carola also emerged: a present, passionate mother, attentive to every detail, who cooks for everyone and supports each child’s dreams. Yet her daughters have one request for her: that she starts reserving more time for herself.
The Return of Carola del Bianco to Para Ti
“I’m happy to be back in Para Ti”, Carola del Bianco stated upon returning to the magazine that accompanied her from the start of her career. Her first shoot came at fifteen and, since then, she has starred in so many covers and interviews that she no longer remembers the exact number.
“At one point I put all the covers in a frame and there were many,” she recalled. Those shoots not only marked her professional journey: “There were many and they were part of my career. Para Ti accompanied me.”
For her daughters, participating in this new shoot meant revisiting, now as adults, a significant chapter of their mother’s life. “It’s very beautiful because it’s like reliving a part of mom’s life with us already grown. It’s being closer to her and doing projects with her,” they expressed.
In the studio, Maia, Elisa, and Isabel—three blondes with light eyes—posed, while the only one missing was Francisco, the youngest of the four siblings and the only boy in the family. When asked if he was the most spoiled, the response came with laughter and without hesitation: “Too much.”
A Motherhood That Changes with Each Child
With children of such different ages—the oldest is 20 and the youngest 11—Carola acknowledges that her approach to motherhood has evolved. “Motherhood finds me being different mothers,” she explained.
Her daughters even point out those differences and ask her: “Why don’t you educate him the way you did with us?” But Carola understands she isn’t the same woman she was when the older girls were born. “I am also a woman and I’ve learned with them. It isn’t the same how I see Francisco as how I saw them. It’s a continuous learning in everything,” she reflected.
With her older daughters she built a bond characterized by companionship, conversations, and a connection she describes as “amazing.” With Francisco, a different kind of tenderness appears: “Sometimes he hugs you and says, ‘I love you,’ and he can. And he’s the smallest too.”
That closeness also echoes among the siblings. Due to the age gap, Isabel shares more moments with Paquín and has become his closest companion.
Similarities, Differences, and Unique Personalities
Finding physical similarities between Carola and her daughters isn’t easy. One sister noted that while she may share some traits from their dad, her face still carries much from the maternal side. Another was decisive: “For me, Eli is just like mom.”
Gestures and movements also reveal that lineage. “My grandmother tells me I move like my mom. My mom looks at her and says, ‘Oh, you remind me of Caro when she was little, in the face.’ And for me it’s her face,” one of the girls explained.
However, when the conversation shifted from the physical to personalities, all agreed that appearances don’t suffice to define them. “We all have things. It’s a big mix, and most importantly, each one is unique,” they explained. “Each one is her,” summarized another sister. That same perspective extends to Francisco: “Paquín is his own entity, his own thing. It’s what he conveys.”
They also chose different paths. Maia studies Medicine and spent some time abroad; Elisa is finishing high school, and Isabel, 13, studies sewing and is particularly drawn to fashion and design.
“We all love sharing these moments when we’re called together, seeing what my mom did and does, but each of us is taking her own path,” they explained. Isabel enjoyed the shoot, though she admitted with a laugh: “In front of the camera I’m a little stiff.” Her experience came almost at the same age at which Carola began modeling: 15 years old.
For Carola, describing them with a single trait would be impossible. “Each one has many things. You can’t define them or confine them to a single personality,” she clarified before highlighting what sets each one apart.
Maia, she said, knew from a very young age what she wanted and has maintained that resolve in her medical career. “She’s always researching, wanting to know, and staying active, doing things,” Maia highlighted about Maia’s dedication to Medicine.
Elisa was described as organized, meticulous, and patient with her own processes. Although not the eldest, she holds a reference role at home: “If we need something, it’s always: ‘Eli, can you help me with this?’.” They also highlighted her maternal side: “She’s always hugging, checking if someone needs help, or trying to solve something.”
Isabel, the youngest, is the most stylish, but also very sensitive. “She loves animals and nature,” Carola shared. Her sisters added that she tends to live in her own world and has consistently been “the most tender, loving, the one who gives affection.”
What Her Children Still Teach Her
With four children of different ages and two of her daughters entering adolescence, Carola feels that her learning as a mother never ends. “I’m always learning,” she affirmed.
Over the years she also observed how each child has built their own identity. “One grows up and you think you’re guiding your little one, but you see them with their own personality and their own being,” she reflected.
Conversations, differing points of view, and the way her children view the world became a new source of learning for her. “I’m very proud of my children, of listening to them and seeing how they face life,” she stated.
The relationship evolved into a two-way exchange. Carola and Paquito were very present as parents, but now their own children often guide them. “Sometimes they give me advice and I think, ‘Oh, my kids give me advice when it should be the other way around.’ And I take it,” she acknowledged.
By virtue of age, the two oldest usually steer her in certain situations. Yet Isabel also offers her view, especially when it comes to Francisco. “Sometimes she tells me things about the youngest and I say, ‘You’re right,’” she admitted.
The advice covers family matters as well as personal choices. Her daughters weigh in on the situations she faces and also influence her clothing choices. “I’m very basic, even though I did a lot of modeling. At home I dress very simply,” Carola admitted. They then suggest: “Mom, don’t wear that, that would suit you better,” or “Mom, do this.”
Carola, Through Her Daughters’ Eyes
When the moment came to define their mother, her daughters agreed on one image: Carola is always present. “She’s in everything: in the uniform when I came home, if someone came to the house, if she studied, if she had activities, how she was. It was as if she lived for me. To me she was mom, mom. Carolina didn’t exist, my mom,” Maia recalled.
But that maternal presence coexists with a personality that is open and sociable. Her daughters described her as a loving, sweet woman capable of befriending everyone. They even remembered that when they were picked up from school, they wanted to go home while Carola stayed talking with everyone.
“She’s super-social. She cares deeply about people’s lives, making sure everyone is well and remembering the details,” they explained. That attention extends beyond the family: “Mom is always there to help us with everything. But not only with us because she’s our mother; she always tries to help others too.”
For them, Carola has the ability to pause for the small gestures and be attentive to the needs of each person. “She always focuses on the little details of everything. You’re someone who is always attentive and incredibly loving,” they told her.
Hearing her daughters talk about her on camera moved Carola. “It’s not normal for them to speak like that. So hearing them now, even with cameras present, moves me,” she admitted.
Isabel and Elisa shared the same perspective: “She’s very loving, always wanting to be there for us and it’s as if she lives for us.” They also highlighted her maternal side, but added another trait: the passion with which she approaches every project.
“Everything she does, she does with so much passion and energy. Even when it’s to help others, the things she does for herself reflect something good and she’s always full of good vibes,” they expressed. Carola listened, moved, and ended that moment with a spontaneous line: “I love them, I love them.”
Rituals That Keep the Family United
When asked how they care for each other, the sisters thought first of a daily scene: the shared table. “I’m not sure if it’s a ritual, but we always eat together. We have tea together,” they explained.
The lunches, dinners, and afternoon snacks became spaces to talk. “It’s a moment when no one is on their phone and we share everything,” they explained. Some afternoons, after tea, they also play cards. “We always have a moment in the day that is for the family.”
In addition to those group gatherings, each bond retains its own codes. One sister shares a series with Carola and uses any pause in her mom’s routine to watch together: “She’s always busy. She has ten minutes and we sit to watch her.”
Among the sisters, plans shift with ages and affinities. “With Isa, I’m a little girl at heart, so we play anything together. With Eli, since she’s closer to my age, we talk and gossip,” Maia explained. They also go out and accompany each other in what each one experiences during the day.
For them, these routines take on a deeper meaning when enjoyed consciously. “Even if one might see it as something that should be habitual and normal, it isn’t always,” they reflected. They emphasized that these moments unite them and give them a chance to talk.
Carola’s kitchen occupies a central place in family life. Her daughters listed some of her favorite dishes: tofu with curry sauce, potato gnocchi, risotto fondue, and the Prince of Naples—“Prince of Naples”—, plus a plate of spaghetti with a tomato sauce that melts on top.
Yet pizzas have become a family staple that seems to transcend generations. “All my friends know them. They all ask me to save some for them,” one daughter shared. The consensus was unanimous: “Mom cooks spectacularly.”
The South as a Place of Gathering
The South holds a central place in the family story. Since the children were born, they spend part of each year there and maintain a garden that helps organize daily life. “There, we don’t leave home; we share a lot,” Carola explained.
During those stays, everything is prepared homemade. “There, there is no buying; we do everything ourselves: bread, sweets, jams,” they said. The contrast became so pronounced that, when a visitor arrived with potato chips, it felt to the kids like “the best day.”
That way of life also leaves its mark when they return. “When we come back, we miss that a lot because we return to the normal routine,” they acknowledged.
Leaving the South is never easy. “There is no place more beautiful. You’re with family and in nature,” they affirmed. Although they miss their friends, the dynamic of a large family always provides company. They also have the fortune of hosting many loved ones there.
For the girls, that bond began very early. “All our lives. We were born there,” they explained. The family spends at least two months each year in the South, maintaining that tradition no matter where they live the rest of the time.
“Even if we are here, in Uruguay or wherever, we will always go. The South is the point,” they stated. And they summed up the feeling with a single phrase: “The South won’t take itself away from us.” In the midst of so much movement, that place remains their space of reunion.
The Experience of Letting a Daughter Go
When Maia decided to move to the United States, Carola faced one of motherhood’s most challenging lessons: embracing distance and letting her child leave the nest. Maia had long pressed for this plan and was very clear about what she wanted.
“As a mother, it was also something I learned with them: wanting your child’s happiness. It hurts not to have them close, but when you see them happy you’re happy for yourself too,” reflected Carola.
Distance, however, strengthened their communication. “I think I spoke more with mom when I was abroad than when I was here,” Maia said. The video calls lasted about an hour and happened daily. If a day passed without contact due to an exam or study, worry would arise: “Mom would ask me: ‘Are you okay? Are you alive? Where are you?’”
Now that Maia has returned to live with the family, mother and daughter have recovered their everyday closeness. They see each other all the time and have lunch together almost every day.
Those family moments they had missed during Maia’s time abroad have returned: “Family dinners, Sundays, everything that is being together as a family, playing cards, yelling at your siblings. Everything.”
A House of Women Where Clothes Are Shared
When asked whether there was any topic that caused friction among them, the answer was immediate: “No.” Yet, a small, everyday dispute surfaced among the sisters: “With Eli, we borrow each other’s clothes.”
In the house, if a garment goes missing, everyone knows where to start looking. “If you’re missing something, you know who has it,” they joked. The reason is simple: among the sisters and Carola, they share as much clothing size as shoe size.
That dynamic makes wardrobe boundaries fairly flexible. “Maybe we have a skirt that’s mine, but actually it’s everyone’s,” they explained. Therefore, more than individual belongings, there are “shared things” that circulate from one closet to another.
Francisco’s experience is different. As the only boy and the youngest of the four, he maintains a closer relationship with his own belongings. “He has his things and we have the shared things,” they said. While his sisters return from trips with clothes to share, Paquín has his toys, his clothes, and a clearer sense of “this is mine.”
Surrounded by his mother and three sisters, Francisco also found a special rapport with his father. “He’s more of the dad’s sidekick,” they acknowledged.
Within the family, everyone agrees that Maia most resembles her father in personality. She herself acknowledged: “I’m very much like my dad,” although she also described him, with laughter, as “a very stubborn person.”
The resemblance appears especially in determination. “Both of them are very ambitious and, when they want something, they go and do everything possible to reach it. Maia is the same as my dad in that regard,” her sisters explained.
They also share a fondness for numbers, certain habits, and the need to sustain a routine. “We like our things. We’re very much into having a routine and sticking to it,” Maia explained.
However, she also recognizes traits inherited from her mother: “I have things from mom too. I can be a bit rough, I snap at things and move around in a slightly odd way.” Carola immediately saw herself in that description and defined herself as “a bit of a catastrophe”.
Recalling those days when her children were small, she could warn them to be careful and not break something, only to end up breaking it herself. For her daughters, that trait also provided a lesson: “We know it’s okay to be mistaken sometimes. As long as it wasn’t intentional, mom understood us better in that.”
When asked about Isabel possibly following in her mother’s footsteps, Carola did not hesitate: “How could I not like that? The career I pursued gave me so many things.” If that is her daughter’s dream, she assured that she will support, accompany, and help her achieve it.
Carola’s Message for Her Children
When asked what message she would leave for her daughters, Carola preferred to reserve individual words for a private moment. However, she shared the wish she tries to convey to all three: “Always strive to fulfill your dreams without hurting anyone or yourselves, with beautiful values. Each of you should go on the path you’re meant to live, choose.”
Her daughters, for their part, expressed simply what Carola represents in their lives: “I can’t imagine having another mom.”
They also took advantage of the Mother’s Day proximity to make a request: because Carola spends much of her time accompanying them, they want her to learn to reserve spaces for herself. “Take days for yourself and moments to enjoy her and what she loves,” they suggested.
That is, they admitted, one of the few topics they argue with her about. “With that, we do fight with mom: that she takes more time for herself, that she doesn’t stay on top of us all day long. If not, she won’t have time for herself.”
Carola received their words surrounded by three of her daughters and closed the conversation with a statement that sums up her approach to motherhood: “I have Mother’s Day every day. Honestly, I’m grateful for the children I have. Being a mother is the most wonderful thing that happened to me.”
Production: Lucila Subiza.
Video: Ramiro Palais, Cande Contreras and Roshi Solano
Video Editing: Rocío Bustos
Makeup and Hair: @sebastiancorreaestudio team.
Wardrobe: @kosiuko, @lamodesm, @portsaidoficial, and @mariagorof.
Accessories: @divinosabalorios, @pietrasoficial, @tilablanco.
