Perdasdfogo looks like any other village in the Italian region of Sardinia, but you will be very surprised when you know that this submerged village has the largest number of centenarians who have reached the age of 100, compared to anywhere else in the world, so what is their secret?
Although the village of Berdasdvogo, with a population of 1,780, is proud of its inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records for recording the largest number of centenarians in the world, the road leading to it does not bear signs indicating its fame.
In appreciation of the longevity of its residents, a pizza shop in a square in the village called itself "Pizza Longivita", meaning "the long life".
Healthy food, fresh air, and stress relief
The elderly have become a source of pride for the villagers, and there are black-and-white photographs of centenarians who have reached the age of 100, hanging on the walls of the houses along the main road, with their names inscribed under them as well as the year in which they were born.
For example, we find a picture of Vittorio Lai, who was born on February 12, 1922, and his picture shows a man smiling shyly, wearing a colorful hat and a winter jacket, a white shirt and a bow tie.
And the youngest Muammar in the village of Berdasdfogo Annunziata Story, which celebrated its centenary birthday, on August 16, and Mayor Bruno Cluny personally congratulated her.
Story says she is healthy "like a fish actively swimming in the water", she feels energetic and cheerful, does not take any medications, and prepares her own vegetable minestrone soup with homemade fregola (a type of pasta), which is a type of pastry that Sardinia is famous for. .
There is a picture that she collects with film director Pietro Miro, as they stand in front of a large container containing tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Miro directed a documentary film in 2017 entitled "The Club of the 100 Years", and published his picture with her on Facebook.
There is a question about whether the quality of food eaten by the villagers is the reason for their longevity, and director Miro expresses his belief that the people who live in the eastern region of Sardinia live a very difficult life, but they are exposed to a much lesser degree of stress compared to urban residents these days.
He says they follow the rhythm of nature, rather than constantly paying attention to their mobile phones and emails.
Agriculture
Antonio Brondo, the oldest resident of the village, confirms that agriculture has always been the main economic activity in the village.
"The residents always work in the fresh air," he told the "Rai" TV station. Brondo is 104 years old, and his skin is still taut without sagging and slightly sun-kissed, and there is no indication of his real age except for the fall of his front teeth.
While Salvatore Mora, a historian and member of the local council in the village of Berdasdfogo, says that there are several factors that explain the longevity of the villagers, one of which is genetic factors, in addition to the fact that the locals eat foods not far from their homes, as they are mainly grown in the gardens of their homes.
Mora points out the importance of communication and social closeness among the villagers, and says, "It is usual for family members to surround each other until the last day of their lives," stressing that this trend helps them maintain their health and physical and mental fitness.
The village celebrates the centenary of each of its residents who reach this age, but it does not seem that there will be celebrations on this occasion during the current year, according to Mora, and he adds that a celebration may be held next year when one of the residents reaches 100 years of age.
"You can't see such a large number of centenarians, who are over 100 years old, and enjoy vigor and vitality anywhere else," says Massimo, a waiter at a cafe located in the "Europe" square in the center of the town, as he presents orders to customers.
The temperature usually rises during the summer, and not all residents enjoy good health. For example, a woman who suffers from the inability to speak resides in a nursing home, according to Massimo.
Sardinian way of life
Explaining the longevity of the villagers, Massimo says, "It is simply due to the Sardinian way of life."
He adds that in a scientific way, none of them take any drugs, eat healthy foods, and live a quiet and simple life.
Scientists also seek to understand the longevity of the population of Sardinia, and a project involving the University of Sassari on the island plans to place sequential layers of 13,000 samples of the DNA of the inhabitants of the province of Ugliastra, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, while the university's vice president, Gavino Mariotti, says. We hope to prove that the population lives well in Sardinia, and that it will also be a way to market our country.