Giuseppina Comandè

BIOGRAPHY

Comandè was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on 23 December 1910. Her uncle was a novelist, and her father wrote comedies that Giuseppina loved to read before they were performed at the theater. She also loved singing in church or in the company of her uncle, who played the piano. In 1941, she married Carlo Lombardo, a soldier from the Guardia di Finanza, and together they had three children: two sons and a daughter. Throughout her life, she moved frequently, living in various Italian cities (also outside of Sicily) due to her husband’s military service. In 1968, when her husband retired from the Guardia di Finanza, they returned to Tusa, where he passed away in 1978.

At the time of her 110th birthday, besides her three children, she also had seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. At the age of 110, she remained active and lucid. For the previous 20 years, she had been living at home with her daughter and son-in-law. When asked about the secret to her longevity and health, she commented that it “lies in taking things philosophically and not getting angry unnecessarily.”

Comandè passed away in Tusa, Sicily, Italy, on 8 July 2022, at the age of 111 years, 197 days.

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RECOGNITION

Comandè’s age was verified by Paolo Scarabaggio and validated by the ESO on 29 March 2021.

On 27 August 2021, following the passing of Maria Oliva, she became the oldest living person in Sicily. Upon her passing, she was succeeded by Francesca Fioriglio.

At the time of her passing, she was the fourth-oldest living person in Italy, after Domenica Ercolani, Claudia Baccarini, and Lucia Laura Sangenito.