Hitching a ride, trusting a partner, marrying the same person three times
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Liberata, who lives in the Italian province of Vibo Valentia, holds a photo of herself as a young woman.
The rural people of Calabria, in southern Italy, live an unusually long time. The average global lifespan is about seventy-two years, but the residents of this sunny, mountainous peninsula often live into their nineties and beyond — and they suffer less from ailments like dementia and heart disease that typically affect the elderly. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of scientists, who have studied the diet (lots of fruits and vegetables), lifestyle (highly active), and genetic makeup of Calabrians. So far the research has proven inconclusive, though the secret to longevity in Calabria is likely a combination of all these factors. The Italian culture, which exhorts all to mangia bene, ridi spesso, anna molto (eat well, laugh often, love much), probably has something to do with it, too.
Raffaele Montepaone is a native of Calabria, and he has been taking photographs of the region’s hardy elders for the last ten years. You can see more of Montepaone’s work at raffaelemontepaone.it.
— Ed.
One of the last remaining residents of the village of Staiti, Caterina smokes more than three packs of cigarettes a day.© Raffaele Montepaone
One of the last remaining residents of the village of Staiti, Caterina smokes more than three packs of cigarettes a day.
The hands of a woman known to all in the village of Stilo as Aunt Concetta.© Raffaele Montepaone
The hands of a woman known to all in the village of Stilo as Aunt Concetta.
Angela, who lives in the village of Stefanaconi, braids her hair as she has done almost daily since she was a child.© Raffaele Montepaone
Angela, who lives in the village of Stefanaconi, braids her hair as she has done almost daily since she was a child.
As she prepares to go to sleep, Maria Antonietta, who lives in the village of Briatico, tells the photographer about her husband, who is waiting for her in heaven.© Raffaele Montepaone
As she prepares to go to sleep, Maria Antonietta, who lives in the village of Briatico, tells the photographer about her husband, who is waiting for her in heaven.
An unidentified woman in the village of Sant’Onofrio. Courtesy of Alidem Gallery Milano.© Raffaele Montepaone
An unidentified woman in the village of Sant’Onofrio. Courtesy of Alidem Gallery Milano.
An unidentified woman outside a church in the village of Jonadi. She told the photographer that everyone’s life is in God’s hands.© Raffaele Montepaone
An unidentified woman outside a church in the village of Jonadi. She told the photographer that everyone’s life is in God’s hands.
Raffaele Montepaone
I’m an Italian native but have lived in the U.S. for many years. I noticed a mistake in the introduction to the wonderful photo essay by Raffaele Montepaone in your August 2018 issue [“A Long Life”]. The old saying is “mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto” — not anna. In the age of Google Translate such a mistake is almost unforgivable.
We did check Google Translate, which told us “anna” was right. It was yet another reminder not to believe everything we read on the Internet.