11/3/2026 | Curiosity from web
Emma Morano, 117: “I always ate three eggs a day and drank grappa to help with digestion”
Emma Morano, 117: “I always ate three eggs a day and drank grappa to help with digestion”
She lived for more than a century following an unusual diet based on two foods. She died in 2017, leaving behind the legacy of a woman who had witnessed countless historical upheavals
Emma Morano was born on November 29, 1899, in the Piedmont region of Italy and became a worldwide symbol of longevity when she reached the age of 117. Throughout her exceptionally long life, she witnessed major historical events, including the development of various technologies, changes in the papacy, the succession of more than ninety Italian governments, and the impact of two world wars.
Her death on April 15, 2017, marked the end of an era, as she was the last surviving person born in the 19th century. Despite her longevity, she endured profound personal tragedies, including the premature death of her only son and a marriage she described as abusive. After separating from her husband in 1938, she chose to remain single for the rest of her life to avoid what she called “being dominated by someone else”.
When asked by the media about the secret behind her extraordinary vitality, Morano attributed her good health to two fundamental factors: remaining single and following a very specific diet. This dietary routine began after the First World War, when a doctor diagnosed her with anemia and recommended that she eat eggs every day. Emma followed this advice faithfully for nine decades. According to statements she made to various media outlets, her daily diet included three eggs, two of which were raw, although in her final years she reduced her intake to two eggs per day. This habit was complemented by the regular consumption of grappa, a traditional Italian spirit that she prepared herself at home.
Speaking about this preparation in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa in 2011, she explained: “I eat three eggs a day and, to help with digestion, I drink the grappa I prepare myself: I put it in a jar with seven sage leaves, a bunch of rue and a few grapes. Then I drink it by the spoonful”.
The historical circumstances of her time deeply influenced her personal decisions and character. In 2011, she recalled how her marriage had taken place, describing it as an imposition she had been unable to resist. “He was someone from around here, from the lake. I didn't want to marry him, but he forced me. We lived in the same courtyard, and one day he sent his mother to fetch me”, she told La Stampa.
According to her account, the threat was direct: “I went there and he told me: ‘If you agree, you can marry me; otherwise, I'll kill you’. I was 26 years old. I got married”. After the relationship ended, she established her independence and maintained it throughout the rest of her exceptionally long life.
In addition to her diet and lifestyle choices, Morano also pointed to genetics as another key factor. Her mother lived to the age of 91, and several of her sisters passed the age of 100. This biological advantage, combined with her unbreakable determination, allowed her to far exceed the average life expectancy in Italy, which stands at around 84 years.
(La Nacion, October 20, 2026)
Her death on April 15, 2017, marked the end of an era, as she was the last surviving person born in the 19th century. Despite her longevity, she endured profound personal tragedies, including the premature death of her only son and a marriage she described as abusive. After separating from her husband in 1938, she chose to remain single for the rest of her life to avoid what she called “being dominated by someone else”.
When asked by the media about the secret behind her extraordinary vitality, Morano attributed her good health to two fundamental factors: remaining single and following a very specific diet. This dietary routine began after the First World War, when a doctor diagnosed her with anemia and recommended that she eat eggs every day. Emma followed this advice faithfully for nine decades. According to statements she made to various media outlets, her daily diet included three eggs, two of which were raw, although in her final years she reduced her intake to two eggs per day. This habit was complemented by the regular consumption of grappa, a traditional Italian spirit that she prepared herself at home.
Speaking about this preparation in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa in 2011, she explained: “I eat three eggs a day and, to help with digestion, I drink the grappa I prepare myself: I put it in a jar with seven sage leaves, a bunch of rue and a few grapes. Then I drink it by the spoonful”.
The historical circumstances of her time deeply influenced her personal decisions and character. In 2011, she recalled how her marriage had taken place, describing it as an imposition she had been unable to resist. “He was someone from around here, from the lake. I didn't want to marry him, but he forced me. We lived in the same courtyard, and one day he sent his mother to fetch me”, she told La Stampa.
According to her account, the threat was direct: “I went there and he told me: ‘If you agree, you can marry me; otherwise, I'll kill you’. I was 26 years old. I got married”. After the relationship ended, she established her independence and maintained it throughout the rest of her exceptionally long life.
In addition to her diet and lifestyle choices, Morano also pointed to genetics as another key factor. Her mother lived to the age of 91, and several of her sisters passed the age of 100. This biological advantage, combined with her unbreakable determination, allowed her to far exceed the average life expectancy in Italy, which stands at around 84 years.
(La Nacion, October 20, 2026)
