Born on November 29, 1899, in Italy, Emma Martina Luigia Morano lived an astonishing 117 years, becoming the world’s oldest woman before her passing in 2017. As the eldest of eight siblings—and the last surviving one—Emma outlived them all, leaving the world in awe of her resilience and longevity.
So, what was her secret?
A mix of extraordinary genes and an unusual yet consistent diet. After being diagnosed with anemia following World War I, Emma adopted a unique routine: eating three eggs a day—two raw in the morning and one cooked at lunch. In her later years, she scaled it back to two eggs and some biscuits, rarely touching fruits or vegetables.
According to her longtime physician, Dr. Carlo Bava, her meals were simple: eggs, omelets, chicken—and occasionally, a small glass of grappa, an Italian herbal liquor infused with sage, rue, and grapes.
But Emma’s strength wasn’t just physical—it was deeply personal. Her life was marked by hardship: she endured an abusive marriage and lost her only child. After being pressured into marriage following the death of her first love in World War I, she separated from her husband in 1938 and never remarried. When asked why, she famously declared, “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone.”
Emma lived through two World Wars and over 90 Italian governments, yet she remained fiercely independent and mentally sharp well into her later years. Her choices, she believed, played a vital role in her extraordinary lifespan.
Longevity clearly ran in her blood—her mother lived to 91, and many of her siblings reached 100. But Emma Morano’s story is more than genetics and diet. It’s a powerful tribute to inner strength, unshakable independence, and the mysterious beauty of a long life well lived.
