Lucia Clementa Ronda, a resident of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy, is celebrating her 111th birthday today, according to Il Giorno. An artist by profession, she is notable for having designed one of the doors on the Milan Cathedral.
Lucia Ronda was born in Casalmaggiore, Cremona, Lombardy, on 22 April 1914. As a child, she displayed a talent for art, and attended Scuola Di Disegno G. Bottoli. She then attended the Academy of Fine Arts of Parma, before later being admitted to the Brera Fine Arts Academy. There, she studied under the mentorship of sculptor Luciano Minguzzi (1911–2004). During World War II, she was tasked by the Municipality of Casalmaggiore to design maps of the air raid shelters located under the city’s buildings.
In 1950, Ronda was commissioned by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini – who would later become Pope Paul VI – to design one of the five doors of the Milan Cathedral. She also collaborated with the Museo del Bijou in designing costume jewelry. Also, she taught art for many years at middle schools in Parma and Teramo.
She is currently the second-oldest living person in Lombardy, after Iole Barosi, who celebrated her 111th birthday earlier this month.
LongeviQuest extends warm congratulations to Lucia Ronda on her 111th birthday.
