Italy’s Exceptionally Long-Lived Village in Sardinia

In Italy, Sardinia is one of the regions of the world which concentrates the most women and men who are centenarians. This is particularly the case in the village of Seulo, where the 13H went.

In the heart of Sardinia (Italy), the village of Seulo has 800 souls that seem eternal. And for good reason, this village is one of those with the most centenarians in the world. At 99 and a half, Luigi Carta intends to get there and walks every morning to go shopping. The grocery store is run by his niece, Barbara, who hopes to take advantage of this genetic heritage. “I too am a member of the Carta family so I have a chance of becoming a centenarian”, she rejoices.

An area hailed by scientists

Luigi Carta is a force of nature. Born in 1923, he started working in primary school. Today, he still lives in his childhood home, heated only by the warmth of the fireplace. “I was a lumberjack for 10-12 years then I worked the land: I have my vegetable garden and fruit trees. I have always eaten simply, the old fashioned way”, testifies the almost centenarian. A good diet and permanent physical activity is part of the secret of the centenarians of Seulo. The village is considered by researchers as a blue zone, that is to say an area where people live particularly long and well.