Melis Siblings 818 Years - The Melis siblings with nine brothers and sisters on the island of Sardinia are officially announced the world’s oldest siblings clocking up a total of 818 years between them, Italian newspapers reported on Tuesday. The Sardinia siblings have a combined age of 818 years have been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest siblings after the Guinness certification followed a seven-year review around the world. The eldest of the group of Sardinian siblings who spoke out for their longevity is celebrating her 105th birthday.
Consolata Melis is the oldest of the nine Melis siblings and whose combined age rounds to a total of over 881 years and 205 days.
Ms Melis is from Perdasdefogu village in south-eastern Sardinia. Born in 1907, she has nine children, 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
She has five sisters and three brothers, who are also in good condition, with Claudia, 99, still attending weekly masses and Adolfo, 89, running a local bar and spends his spare time growing vegetables in his garden. The youngest Mafalda, 78, is their “baby sister”.
Ms Melis stated the order of the siblings – Consolata Melis (105), Claudia (99), Maria (97), Antonio (93), Concetta (91), Adolfo (89), Vitalio (86), Vitalia (81), and Mafalda (78).
They belong to the village of Perdasdefogu in a mountainous region of Sardinia called the Barbagia, which was known to the ancient Romans as Barbaria, or land of the barbarians.
Luca Deiana, a professor at the University of Sassari in Sardinia who has studied some 2,500 centenarians on the island since 1996 said the long life of local inhabitants was due to various factors.
He said, “On the one hand it is about genetics, about inherited longevity… but there is also the bounty of the land and the local fruit, particularly pears and prunes.” He also said strong family traditions funded to long life.
Experts suggests the exceptional age of the Melis family to a combination of good genetics, a healthy diet and an active life-style.
Consolata Melis is the oldest of the nine Melis siblings and whose combined age rounds to a total of over 881 years and 205 days.
Ms Melis is from Perdasdefogu village in south-eastern Sardinia. Born in 1907, she has nine children, 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
She has five sisters and three brothers, who are also in good condition, with Claudia, 99, still attending weekly masses and Adolfo, 89, running a local bar and spends his spare time growing vegetables in his garden. The youngest Mafalda, 78, is their “baby sister”.
Ms Melis stated the order of the siblings – Consolata Melis (105), Claudia (99), Maria (97), Antonio (93), Concetta (91), Adolfo (89), Vitalio (86), Vitalia (81), and Mafalda (78).
They belong to the village of Perdasdefogu in a mountainous region of Sardinia called the Barbagia, which was known to the ancient Romans as Barbaria, or land of the barbarians.
Luca Deiana, a professor at the University of Sassari in Sardinia who has studied some 2,500 centenarians on the island since 1996 said the long life of local inhabitants was due to various factors.
He said, “On the one hand it is about genetics, about inherited longevity… but there is also the bounty of the land and the local fruit, particularly pears and prunes.” He also said strong family traditions funded to long life.
Experts suggests the exceptional age of the Melis family to a combination of good genetics, a healthy diet and an active life-style.