Sardinia is home to the highest proportion of centenarians in Europe. The reason? Good genes and nutrition, but also, a strong sense of community. The retirees are there for each other even in old age.

Cagliari

Sardinia, an island in Italy, is notable for its high concentration of centenarians, making it one of the world's recognized blue zones. Residents such as Francesca Desera and Carolina Sardino exemplify the community's vitality, resilience, and active engagement well into old age. 

Scientific research suggests that Sardinia's longevity is linked to a mix of genetic factors, mental health, and strong social bonds. The local lifestyle, which includes healthy food, regular activity, and a supportive community, is believed to reinforce these genetic advantages, contributing to the residents' long and healthy lives.

Sardinia: The island of centenarians

The people who live here are full of energy. Keep working and keep moving. With a sense of strength and community. When it comes to your brain, if you don't use it, you lose it. They are happy and fearless. We were all born, and we have to die sometime too. And at an impressive age. Only the tortoise is older than its keeper. And at 101, its keeper is full of energy and strength. Francesca Desera is a born storyteller, who never tires of recalling her life for us. I've always been blessed with very good health. Now I'm over 100 years old, and I'm still healthy. So healthy, that Francesca challenges herself with new tasks every day. Like threading the sewing machine needle without her glasses. People like Francesca never, ever give up. We are traveling through the Sardinian mountains, meeting sprightly, hardy characters like Francesca everywhere. This is one of the world's few blue zones, areas where most of the planet's oldest people live. Professor Roberto Pili, along with other scientists, has been researching the reasons why in southern Sardinia for decades. This region has the highest number of centenarians, and one of the most ancient and isolated gene pools. It's very resilient, and the people are able to engage very positively with their environment and their community. Good genes, good mental health, and community. At home in Perdaste Fogu, Carolina Sardino is making Sardinian ravioli with friends for the seniors' home. At 92, she is still a youngster here. When I've done a good deed, I feel happy, because I've made someone else happy. You just give from your heart, without taking. She knows everyone at the local seniors' home. They grew up together and are always there for each other. Carolina's ravioli visit becomes an emotional reunion for all those who have shared so much of their lives. Sardinia has always been isolated. A landscape unfolds in the island's interior as gentle and calm as the people who grow old there. In Nuoro, Sebastiano Maccioni takes measured steps towards the café. Eight o'clock sharp, as always. Everyone knows the clever, cheerful engineer, who will soon turn 170. Relationships are the whole point of life. Your wife, children, relatives, mother, all of them. And friendship is fundamental. Without friendship, there is no life. What he cherishes most are his house, his garden, the people. Everything here is bursting with life. Maccioni's wife died almost 20 years ago, and his four children and grandchildren are scattered across the country. But he goes on reading, questioning, thinking, and engaging with the world. I started working very young. When I was still in school and I was very good in math. And I spent a lot of time with my friends. It's important to keep yourself too busy to get bored. Photos of all the centenarians who have lived here adorn the walls. What unites them is the good climate, local healthy food with lots of fruits and vegetables, and a deep conviction that having little is plenty. When all of these factors come together, a genetic structure is reinforced to express the best genes that contribute to a long, healthy life. And as if to show that she isn't slowing down, 97-year-old Gesuina Madeo walks confidently through her favorite place. Gesuina, who never married, still attends church regularly. She's a believer, but she also likes meeting people there. Free-spirited Gesuina always likes to be in the thick of things. I was happy in not being married, without a man. I traveled through Sardinia. I also went to Rome and danced. A free and beautiful life. And that's what Gesuina and everyone on Sardinia likes to toast to. To life.

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