A great-grandma who credited her long life to “olive oil and red wine” has died aged 109.
Maria Rosa Tassone passed away yesterday (14 Oct).
She survived two World Wars and three pandemics.
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She was born in Spadola in Italy’s “toe” on 25 January 1915, one year after the outbreak of World War I.
She remained in her home village, where she took care of her garden and cooked for her large family until just a few years ago.
She leaves behind 26 relatives, including children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Before her passing, she was the oldest woman in Italy’s Calabria region, which has a population of about 1.84m.
Maria Rosa survived the Spanish flu pandemic, which began in 1918 – when she was just three years old – and ended in 1920.
She also made it through the SARS outbreak of 2002-2004 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Maria Rosa credited the secret to her longevity to a quiet life and light meals accompanied by a glass of wine every now and then.
She also said she’d never smoked a cigarette and avoided anything of any kind in excess.
Once, when asked for tips about how to live a long life, she said to use olive oil, drink red wine, and don’t have too many sugary foods.
When Maria Rosa was born, Italy was a monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel III.
She saw her country become a republic in 1948 and lived through the transition to the Second Republic in 1994.
She lived through nine popes, starting with Benedict XV, as reported by Need To Know.
Her grandson Vitantonio Tassone wrote on social media on Monday: “Today is a sad day for the entire Spadolese community.
“My grandmother, Maria Rosa Tassone, has returned to the Father’s house at the venerable age of nearly 110.
“She was the oldest person in Calabria and among the longest-lived in Italy.
“I thank the Lord Jesus for giving us the joy of having her with us for so long.
“A chapter of Spadolese history spanning over a hundred years is closing, but the stories of a bygone era will live on forever.”
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