Emma Morano

Emma Morano
Born Emma Martina Luigia Morano
29 November 1899[1]
(age 115 years, 152 days)
Civiasco (Province of Vercelli), Italy
Residence Pallanza (Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola), Italy
Occupation Jute factory worker
Title
  • Oldest living Italian person
  • Oldest living European person
  • Oldest verified person ever to live in Italy
Spouse(s) Giovanni Martinuzzi (1901–1978)
(m. 1926–1978; his death)[2]
Children One child (1937–1937)[3]
Parent(s) Giovanni Morano and Matilde Bresciani[4]

Emma Morano (married Martinuzzi; born 29 November 1899)[1] is an Italian supercentenarian who is, at the age of 115 years, 152 days, the oldest living person in Italy and Europe, and the third-oldest living person in the world behind Jeralean Talley and Susannah Mushatt Jones (both Americans). She is the oldest person ever to live in Italy, second oldest Italian person ever behind Dina Manfredini and is also the last living European person to have been born in the 19th century.[5]

Biography

Emma Martina Luigia Morano was born on 29 November 1899 in Civiasco, Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy to Giovanni Morano and Matilde Bresciani,[6] the eldest of eight children, five daughters and three sons. She had a long-lived family: her mother, an aunt and some of her siblings turned 90 and her sister, Angela Morano (1908–2011)[7] died at age 102.

When she was a child, she moved from the Sesia Valley to Ossola for her father's job,[8] but the climate was so unhealthy there that a physician advised her family to live somewhere with a milder climate so she moved to Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, where she still lives. In October 1926, she married Giovanni Martinuzzi[9] (1901–1978) and in 1937 her only child was born but died when he was only six months old. The marriage was not happy[3] so in 1938 Morano decided to separate from her husband, driving him out of the house. Despite that the couple always remained formally married. Until 1954, she was a worker for the Maioni Industry, a jute factory in her town. Then, she had another job, in the kitchen of "Collegio Santa Maria," a Marianist boarding school in Pallanza, until she was 75, when she retired.[6]

Life today

Morano was still living alone in her home on her 115th birthday.[10] When asked about the secret of her longevity, she said that she had never used drugs, eats three eggs a day, drinks a glass of homemade brandy, and savors a chocolate sometimes, but, above all, she thinks positively about the future.[11]

In 2011, Morano received a visit from U.S. researcher James Clement, engaged in a worldwide study conducted by George Church for Harvard Medical School of Boston, to study the secret of her longevity.[12] In December 2011, she was awarded the honor of Knight of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Giorgio Napolitano.[13]

During her 114th birthday she gave a short live TV interview to an RAI show.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Oldest Validated Living Supercentenarians". Gerontology Research Group. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Auguri alla nonna d'Italia che ha visto 10 Papi" (in Italian). Sanfrancescopatronoditalia.it. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Emma Morano, 112 anni: ha visto dieci Papi. Il segreto? Tre uova al dì" (in Italian). 45.9215067,8.5515597: Blitzquotidiano.it. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  4. ↑ "La centenaria a caccia dei parenti locarnesi" (in Italian). Caffe.ch. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  5. ↑ Oldest living person dies at age 117: Here are 5 others who have lived to a ripe old age
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 (Italian) "I miei 112 anni di storia d'Italia"
  7. ↑ ""ANGIOLINA", SONO 102!" (in Italian). Verbaniamilleventi.org. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  8. ↑ "La nonna che abbraccia tre secoli" (in Italian). Caffe.ch. 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  9. ↑ mario.giovanardi. "Emma MArano 113 anni Mangio tre uova al giorno, come mi disse il dottore quando ero ragazza" (in Italian). Vip.it. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  10. ↑ "Emma Morano compie 115 anni" (in Italian). ogginotizie.it. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  11. ↑ "Nacque sotto re Umberto I. Era il 1899 Emma Morano é nata a Civiasco 112 anni fa. Oggi vive a Verbania e abita ancora da sola "Martedì ho festeggiato con torta e vino bianco". Mangia tre uova al giorno e beve la "sua" grappa" (in Italian). Civiasco.netweek.it. 1987-07-16. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  12. ↑ "Ricercatori Statunitensi E Troupe Rai Da Nonna Emma" (in Italian). www.verbaniamilleventi.org. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  13. ↑ "Le onorificenze della Repubblica italiana" (in Italian). Quirinale.it. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  14. ↑ "Emma Morano compie 114 anni" (in Italian). ogginotizie.it. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
Records
Preceded by
Maria Redaelli		 Oldest living Italian
2 April 2013 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Maria Redaelli		 Oldest living European
2 April 2013 – present