Emma Morano Italian verified supercentenarian Date of Birth: 29.11.1899 Country: Italy

1. Emma Morano: The Oldest Living Person in Italy and Europe
2. The Oldest Living Person in Italy and Europe

Emma Morano: The Oldest Living Person in Italy and Europe

Emma Martina Luigia Morano was born on November 29, 1899, in Civiasco, Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy. She was the oldest of eight children, with five sisters and three brothers. Her family had a long history of longevity, with her mother, aunt, and some siblings living past the age of 90. Her sister, Angela Morano, lived to be 102 years old from 1908 to 2011.

As a child, Morano moved from Sesia Valley to Ossola due to her father's work. However, she had difficulty adapting to the new climate, and a local doctor advised her family to find a place with a milder climate. They moved to the village of Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, where Morano still resides to this day.

In October 1926, she married Giovanni Martinuzzi (1901-1978). They had one child in 1937, but unfortunately, the baby passed away at just six months old. Morano and Giovanni lived separately from 1938 onwards, although they officially remained married until Giovanni's death in 1978.

Morano worked at the Maioni Industry jute factory until 1954. After that, she worked in the kitchen of Collegio Santa Maria, a Marian boarding school in Pallanza, until her retirement at the age of 75. Even in her old age, Morano continued living in her own home, alone.

When Morano turned 115, she was asked about the secret to her longevity. She mentioned that she never used drugs, ate three eggs a day, drank a glass of homemade brandy, and occasionally indulged in chocolate. She also attributed her long life to her positive outlook on the future and believed that consuming raw eggs and not having a partner played a role as well.

In 2011, Morano was visited as part of a global research project led by George Church from the Harvard Medical School in Boston. Researchers were trying to uncover the secret to her longevity. In December 2011, she was awarded the highest order of Italy, "Order of Merit of the Italian Republic," by Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy.

The Oldest Living Person in Italy and Europe

After the death of Maria Redaelli on April 2, 2013, Morano became the oldest living person in Italy and Europe. On her 114th birthday, she gave a brief interview to the RAI television company. On her 116th birthday, Morano received greetings from Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

In August 2014, Morano surpassed Venere Pizzinato in age. She also outlived Dina Manfredini, who passed away in the United States in August 2015. Following the death of Susannah Mushatt Jones, Morano became the oldest living person in the world and the only person alive today who was born in the 1800s.

Emma Morano passed away in her home in Verbania, Italy, on April 15, 2017. At the time of her death, she was 117 years and 137 days old. She was the fifth oldest person in history and the last living person born before 1900. After her death, Violet Brown became the oldest living person.