Maria Perrando was born in Savona, Liguria, Italy, on 4 January 1914. At some point in her life, she married a railway worker and the couple had two children together. After their marriage, she focused on being a housewife and caring for their children.

On her 109th birthday, the facility where she lived organized a party with the participation of the President of the City Council, Franco Lirosi, and the artist Dario Amoretti, who played the bagpipes dressed in Scottish attire. Around the age of 99, she moved into a nursing home, where she has resided ever since.

According to her, eating modestly without wine was the secret to her longevity. It was reported that she communicated with her son through a tablet due to her hearing problems. However, despite this, she was still able to read without glasses, as she could verbally respond to what her son wrote on her tablet.