Dante Parlani

BIOGRAPHY

Dante Parlani was born in Apecchio, Marche, Italy, on 23 November 1905. At some point, he married, but was widowed around 1968. He had three children: Rosa, Saulo, and Costantino.

In the Chimafucci area, over 50 years of activity from 1933 to 1983, he managed 110 farms owned by private individuals and state entities. Among these was the Caifirenze-Carlano estate, a property of 1,200 hectares comprising 30 farms. In 1950, he was appointed an Officer Knight of the Order of Saint George of Antioch. The following year, in 1951, he became president of the Farmers’ Union of the Municipality of Apecchio and was elected as a Municipal Councilor. His contributions to agriculture earned him further recognition: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry honored him for his efforts in boosting agricultural productivity. In 1982, he received an additional award from the Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi di Città di Castello, acknowledging his role in promoting the development of tobacco cultivation in the Upper Tiber Valley. In 1984, he also ventured into acting, appearing in the RAI Tre film Dopo il Tramonto, where, fittingly, he played the role of a landowner.

Until the age of about 106, he continued living at the Chi Mafucci farm, near the state forests of Bocca Serriola. A fall down the stairs, which resulted in a fractured femur, eventually forced him to move to Città di Castello. Even so, he continued visiting Apecchio regularly, even at 109 years old. When asked about the secret to his longevity, he would reply, “Walk, walk, and always smiling!”

At 109, his daily routine included waking up at 10:30 AM and reading the newspapers. He never missed the 6:00 PM mass, and around 10:00 PM, after browsing through a few magazines, he would retire to bed.

Dante Parlani passed away in Città di Castello, Umbria, on 26 March 2016, at the age of 110 years, 124 days.

RECOGNITION

Following the passing of Maria Gambacorta (24 March 1905 – 4 January 2015), he became the oldest living person in Umbria. Upon his own passing, he was succeeded by Lavinia Parri.

In November 2015, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming the first supercentenarian ever in the region of Umbria.

At the time of his death, he was the second-oldest known living man in Italy, behind only Valerio Piroddi.

Parlani’s age was verified by Alessandro Delucchi and Paolo Scarabaggio, and was validated by the ESO on 8 August 2021.

ATTRIBUTION

* “C:Castello: compie domani 101 anni il Cav. Dante Parlani” – TrgMedia, 22 November 2006

* “Dante Parlani compie 109 anni: “Il segreto è camminare e sorridere”” – Quotidiano Nazionale, 24 November 2014

GALLERY

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