Supercentenarian Profile

Maria Redaelli

Born:

1899-04-03

Inzago, Milan, Lombardy

Italy

Died:

2013-04-02

Novate Milanese, Milan, Lombardy

Italy

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Maria Angela Redaelli-Granoli was an Italian supercentenarian. Her age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO).

BIOGRAPHY

Maria Redaelli was born in Inzago, Milan, Italy, on 3 April 1899. Her father passed away at 55 during the Spanish flu pandemic, while her mother lived to about 80 before succumbing to a serious illness.

In 1923, she married Gaspare Granoli. The couple, only six months apart in age, were married for over 50 years and had two children: Luigi (1930–2004) and Carla (born 1925). Her daughter later recalled that her mother’s childbirth experiences had been particularly difficult. She worked as a spinning mill instructor until the age of 55. In 1954, she moved with her husband to Sesto San Giovanni (Milan), where he worked at Breda Fucine. Widowed, she moved with her children to Nova Milanese in 1974

Even at 113, she remained able to walk with the aid of a walker. She often remarked that she had never taken medication in her life, aside from a supplement she was using in her later years. At 104, she was hospitalized for the first time after breaking her femur, but she made a full recovery within six months.

When asked about the secret to her longevity, her daughter attributed it to a lifelong habit of eating well: a little of everything, always fresh, never preserved. She avoided fatty foods, discarding the fat from ham, and while she occasionally enjoyed wine, she never smoked. Maria herself would say she never once suffered from indigestion and always ate only what she needed. Her favorite dish was pasta with fresh tomatoes, though she also enjoyed it simply with butter and cheese.

Maria Redaelli passed away in Novate Milanese, Milan, Lombardy, on 2 April 2013, one day before her 114th birthday. Just a few days before her passing, she slipped while walking in her home, but after a short period of rest, she was back on her feet.

RECOGNITION

On 18 May 2010, at the age of 111 years, 45 days, she surpassed the final age of Orsola Perego (1892 – 2003), she became the oldest known person ever to have lived in Lombardy.

On 23 February 2012, following the passing of 113-year-old Stella Nardari, she became the oldest living person in Italy. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Emma Morano.

On 8 June 2012, following the passing of Marie-Therese Bardet (France), she became the Oldest Living Person in Europe. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Morano.

At the time of her passing, she was the fourth-oldest known living person in the world, after Jiroemon Kimura, Misao Okawa, and Gertrude Weaver.

Her age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 27 August 2025.