Tripoli Giannini, known as Italy's oldest man, passed away at the age of 111. This is reported by Firenze.Repubblica.it.
He attributed his longevity to "light meals and lack of stress."
Giannini died in his home in Cecina, near Livorno, Tuscany, on New Year's Eve. He was the second oldest man in Europe, following André Ludwig, a Frenchman who is 75 days older.
Giannini's son, Romano, shared on Facebook,
"He thought he was immortal... but at 9:30 on San Silvestro (New Year's Eve), my father Tripoli Giannini passed away. He was 111 years and 133 days old - a record! He joins his wife, Tosca, my mother, who has been waiting for him for over 40 years."
22.000 People Over 100 Years Old
Giannini was among Italy's centenarians. According to Istat, the national statistics agency, there were 22,000 people over 100 years old in 2023 - the highest number ever recorded, with the majority being women.
A veteran of the Italian infantry, Giannini was born in Cecina in 1912 and lived through two World Wars and two pandemics.
During his 111th birthday celebration in August, he revealed that his secrets to longevity were light meals - always accompanied by wine -, no smoking, lack of stress, and treating each day as a gift.
The Italian island of Sardinia is identified as one of the five regions in the world with a high concentration of centenarians, while the Italian city with the most people over 100 years old is Genoa in Liguria. The Mediterranean diet is long considered a key ingredient in Italians' longevity.
However, Italy's aging population poses a challenge for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, especially as it coincides with a declining birth rate, putting pressure on pension and health systems.
In 2022, births in Italy reached a record low of 393,000, according to Istat. Meloni stated in December that reversing the birth rate trend is among her government's priorities for 2024, with 2.5 billion euros allocated in the budget to address this issue.
