When Giovanna Marras opens the door to her home in Bolotana, a mountain village in central Sardinia, her eyes are bright with curiosity as she looks her visitors over. Her sister Mariangela peeks out too, then quickly ushers the guests inside and hands out dishes of ice cream. The sisters are full of life, chatting animatedly. Giovanna is 101 and Mariangela is 99.
Sitting in their living room, Giovanna quickly sums up her life: she did well at school before moving to Cagliari, the capital of the Italian island, at 18 to train as a seamstress. The sisters went on to run a successful tailoring business in Bolotana before travelling the world after retirement. Neither married.
“Someone did come to the house and ask my parents for my hand in marriage,” Giovanna said. “I told them to tell him to go away – I mean, a woman should at least know her future husband.” Mariangela is just as feisty. “I didn’t want to get married … I walk my own path, I don’t need support.”
The details of their lives are now being studied as part of a wider pattern of exceptional longevity in Bolotana, where women are driving a trend that could put the village, population 2,266, in the running to be the world’s sixth “blue zone” – geographic areas with unusually high concentrations of centenarians. Sardinia was home to the first such zone, identified more than 25 years ago.
A study by professors at the University of Sassari and the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the US, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Aging last week, found that 13.8% of women in Bolotana who reach the age of 70 will live to 100 – placing it second in the world for female longevity after Hong Kong.
Giovanna is the third eldest of six female centenarians in Bolotana, after Tonia Giglio and Maddalena Falchi, both 102. By the end of this year, two other women are expected to reach the milestone, and in 2027 two more, including Mariangela. The last male centenarian, Giovanni Madau, died in July, a few months short of his 102nd birthday.
Tore Pedde, the president of Orminas, a cultural association, played a crucial role in uncovering Bolotana as a potential longevity hotspot after painstakingly searching its demographic archives, even tracking down centenarians born in the village who had long since moved overseas.
Records of people born in Bolotana between 1900 and 1925 showed that 38 had lived beyond 100, putting their longevity rate at 57% higher than the Italian national average.
“Up until the early 1900s, Bolotana followed a trend whereby men significantly outnumbered women among the elderly,” Pedde said. “From the early 20th century onwards, however, the trend shifted and women began to outnumber men. Later, the number of female centenarians started to far exceed the male ones, and this trend continues today.”
While it has already been well established that women live longer for biological reasons, scientists behind the study are tracing family trees in search of genetic clues to Bolotana’s female longevity. They are also exploring the roles of diet, physical activity and social connections.
A striking characteristic of Bolotana’s female centenarians is their independence. The Marras sisters still cook for themselves, eating a varied but clean diet without forsaking meat, cheese or wine. Mariangela does the shopping, which entails a walk down a hilly street and back.
The women have grit and are remarkably lucid. Filomena Scarpa, a former language teacher who turned 100 in January, began learning German in her 90s and was a voracious reader before a problemHer left eye had begun to hinder her. “It saddens me not to be able to read with the same level of consistency,” she said. She goes to a personal trainer twice a week. “Because I can’t sit around all day.”
Scarpa, who has two sons, is a childhood friend of Falchi, who now lives with her daughter about an hour away in Oristano. The pair speak often. Falchi is notorious in Bolotana for smoking like a trooper. “I told her to quit because it’s not good for her health,” Scarpa said. “But she said: ‘It hasn’t got me so far, so I shall carry on.'”
Bolotana is situated in Sardinia’s Marghine mountains, about 70 miles (110km) from the island’s original blue zone – a cluster of villages nestled on the slopes of the central and eastern provinces.
Francesco Manconi, the mayor of Bolotana, believes ‘the abundance of natural affection’ helps the town’s citizens live to a great age.
“What’s special here is that for the first time we’ve identified an area where women live to a great age, whereas the original blue zone was predominantly male,” said Giovanni Mario Pes, who led the study and is a co-creator of the blue zone concept. “We therefore need to explain why longevity specifically affects women here.”
Unlike the original villages, Bolotana is relatively close to cities, including Sassari and Alghero on the west coast. Still, its streets are steep, providing residents with unavoidable exercise. The environment is unspoiled and most people still eat fruit and vegetables grown in their gardens.
One thing Pes noted among its female residents was a “strong sense of sisterhood”. “This felt quite unusual and is something I’d like to explore scientifically,” he added.
Bolotana is situated in Sardinia’s Marghine mountains, about 70 miles from the island’s original blue zone.
Francesco Manconi, the mayor of Bolotana, believes the sociality is key. “There is an abundance of natural affection, whether from family members, neighbours or friends, towards our elderly,” he said, adding that the village placed “a great importance” on ensuring they could stay in their own homes.
Betti Uda, who runs a tourism business, said the village’s elderly women were determined and still tried to live purposefully. “If they want to do something, they will – nothing holds them back.”
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Could Sisterhood Be the Secret to a Long Life This Sardinian Village May Hold the Key to Womens Longevity
1 What is this Sardinian village known for
Its a mountain village in Sardinia Italy thats part of a Blue Zonea region where people live unusually long lives Researchers are especially interested in the women there who often live past 90 and 100
2 What are Blue Zones
Blue Zones are areas around the world where people live measurably longer and healthier lives Besides Sardinia they include Okinawa Ikaria Nicoya and Loma Linda
3 What does sisterhood mean in this context
It refers to the close bonds between womenfriendships family ties and community support In the Sardinian village women gather daily to cook walk share meals and support each other
4 Why do researchers think sisterhood helps women live longer
Strong social bonds reduce stress prevent loneliness and encourage healthy habits Women in these communities rarely feel isolated and they look out for each others health and wellbeing
5 Is loneliness really that bad for your health
Yes Research links chronic loneliness to higher risks of heart disease depression and cognitive declinecomparable to wellknown risk factors like smoking Strong social ties appear to protect against these risks
6 What do the women in the village actually do together
They cook and eat together take daily walks garden attend church and share childcare and household tasks Socializing is built into their everyday routine not scheduled separately
7 Is it just about friendship or is diet and exercise involved too
Its both The women eat a plantbased Mediterraneanstyle diet and stay active through daily chores and walking But researchers think the social bond is what keeps them consistent with these healthy habits
8 Can anyone benefit from sisterhood or only women
Anyone can benefit from strong social bonds The research focuses on women because they tend to build and maintain these networks more actively but men benefit from close friendships too
9 What if I dont live near family or close friends
You can build chosen sisterhoodjoin community groups volunteer take classes or start regular meetups
