Emma Morano

Emma Morano remained single for most of her life. In fact, she considered her singlehood to be one of the main reasons for her long and happy life.

She fell in love with a boy at a young age, but according to her, he was killed during ‘World War I.’ She never felt the need to marry someone else for a long time after this incident.

When she was 26, she got married to a man named Giovanni Martinuzzi. Giovanni was an abusive husband. According to Morano, he had threatened to kill her if she refused to marry him.

Emma Martina Luigia Morano was born on November 29, 1899, in Civiasco, Vercelli, Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy, to Giovanni Morano and Matilde Bresciani. She was the first of their eight children.

She had four sisters and three brothers. Her extraordinarily long life may be attributed to good family genes. Her mother, her aunt, and a few of her other family members lived to reach the age of 90. Her sister Angela Morano died after she turned 102, in 2011.

She moved to Ossola from the Sesia Valley due to her father’s job. Her father worked in a foundry and eventually turned blind.

Her mother earned a living by making slippers out of layered fabrics. Morano soon moved to Verbania on Lake Maggiore because she often fell sick due to the terrible weather of Ossola.

She lived in Verbania for the rest of her life. Morano was also the last surviving member of her family.

Morano worked at a jute factory, known as ‘Maioni Industry,’ until 1954. She then earned her living by cooking in the kitchen of a Marianist boarding school named ‘Collegio Santa Maria,’ and worked there until her retirement.

She retired at the age of 75 and continued living in her home until her death. She lived through two World Wars and almost 90 Italian governments.

She soon came to be known as the oldest living human being on the planet, and attributed her long life to her genes, her daily intake of raw eggs, her early-to-bed schedule, and her single life.

In 2013, she revealed that her secret to longevity was that she ate three raw eggs with a glass of home-made grappa regularly and had a positive outlook toward life. She also revealed her love for chocolate.

On April 2, 2013, after the death of 113-year-old Maria Radaelli, Morano became the oldest person in Italy and Europe. She also became the oldest verified living person in Italy after Venere Pizzinato and Dina Manfredini.

In December 2011, Morano was awarded the ‘Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic’ by President Giorgio Napolitano. On July 29, 2016, she was named the “oldest person alive” by the ‘Guinness World Records.’

She was also honored with various certificates, including those from Italian presidents, children, and various organizations.