Rest in peace, bella donna.
A 116-year-old Italian great-grandmother, who was believed to have been Earth’s second-oldest citizen, passed away Tuesday at the remarkable age of 116.
Giuseppina Robucci died in the central-east town of Poggio Imperiale, the very same place where she was born on March 20, 1903, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
“We are saddened by her death, but at the same time we are honored to have had her as a fellow citizen,” said Poggio Imperiale mayor Alfonso D’Aloisio.
Affectionately known as Nonna Peppa by locals, Robucci had previously cited her faith in God, a healthy diet and strict avoidance of booze as the main factors behind her longevity, reported Mirror.
The mother of five children, nine grandkids and 16 great-grandchildren had once operated a coffee bar with her husband. And In 2012, she was named honorary mayor of Poggio Imperiale.
Robucci was the last living European born in 1903, according to Robert Young of the Gerontology Research Group. She had been only 77 days younger than Japanese resident Kane Tananka, who is the world’s oldest-living person.
Robucci ranks No. 17 on the recorded list of Earth’s oldest people ever to have lived.
Italy once held the distinction of having the world’s oldest woman. Her name was Emma Moran, and she was confirmed to be the final living person to have been born in the 19th century. She died in 2017 at the age of 117 years and 137 days, reported Medical Xpress.
