Overview

Maria Redaelli, also known by her married name Maria Granoli, (3 April 1899 – 2 April 2013) was an Italian supercentenarian. The term supercentenarian describes someone who has reached the age of 110 years or more. At the time of her death she was recognised as the oldest living person in Italy (Italy) and the oldest living person in Europe (Europe), and she ranked among the very oldest people in the world.

Early life and background

Redaelli was born on 3 April 1899 in Inzago, a town in the Province of Milan (Province of Milan), within the Lombardy region (Lombardy) of northern Italy. Little public information exists about her early years in available sources beyond her place and date of birth; like many people who lived through the 20th century, her life spanned two world wars, major social changes in Italy, and the modernization of daily life.

Family and personal life

She was married to Gaspare Granoli and the couple had two children, one of whom predeceased her. Accounts describe her as residing in the Lombardy area for most of her life; at the time of her death she was living in Filanda, in Lombardy. Her long life was essentially that of a private individual rather than a public figure, and her family life is the aspect most consistently noted in contemporary reports.

Longevity, rankings and death

Maria Redaelli died on 2 April 2013, one day before what would have been her 114th birthday, at age 113. At that moment she was listed as the fourth-oldest living person worldwide behind several contemporaries: Jiroemon Kimura (Jiroemon Kimura), Misao Okawa (Misao Okawa) and Gertrude Weaver (Gertrude Weaver). After her death, the title of oldest living person in Italy and Europe passed to Emma Morano (Emma Morano), another Italian supercentenarian who later became globally well known.

Notable facts and context

  • Birth: 3 April 1899, Inzago (Province of Milan, Lombardy).
  • Death: 2 April 2013, in Filanda, Lombardy; age 113 (one day short of 114).
  • Married name: Maria Granoli; husband Gaspare Granoli.
  • Longevity status: recognised as Italy's and Europe's oldest living person at the time of death.

Significance and verification

Supercentenarians attract interest from demographers, historians and the general public because they provide individual examples of extreme human longevity and living memory spanning many historical eras. Rankings of oldest living people are usually compiled and verified by specialist researchers and organisations that compare documents, civil records and other evidence. Contemporary lists that included Redaelli placed her among a very small global group of verified people aged 113 and older during the early 2010s.

Though she did not become a widely publicised public figure during her life, Maria Redaelli's status at the time of her death highlighted Italy's notable cohort of long-lived citizens and drew attention to the broader phenomenon of centenarian and supercentenarian longevity in Europe and worldwide. See related contemporary figures for comparison: Jiroemon Kimura, Misao Okawa, Gertrude Weaver and the succeeding Italian oldest person, Emma Morano. For further reading about supercentenarian cases and listings consult specialised resources and databases (supercentenarian records) and national longevity reports (Italy) or (Europe).

References to local geography and provenance are available in municipal and regional records of Inzago and the Province of Milan (province), and in broader accounts of Lombardy (region) history and demographics. Contemporary news coverage and longevity lists recorded her death and succession in April 2013, which placed her among the small number of verified supercentenarians alive at that time.