Dr. Gianni Pes, Original Blue Zone Discoverer, Reveals New Layers to Sardinia’s Longevity Puzzle...and Being Wealthy isn’t One of Them
BY GIOVANNA G. BONOMO
February, 2025
Nuoro, a Sardinian province, specifically within the Barbagia of Ollolai and the Ogliastra mountains, that holds a demographic paradox that fundamentally challenged our understanding of human longevity. The village of Seulo, in particular, perched high among granite peaks, once held the world record for the highest concentration of centenarians – residents who routinely lived past 100 in remarkable health, free from many diseases that plague modern societies.
Nuoro is not just the capital of its province but a cultural powerhouse known as the “Sardinian Athens,” having produced numerous renowned artists including Nobel Prize winner Grazia Deledda. This city of roughly 36,000 residents holds special significance in Italian culture, with its borough of Lollove recognized as one of “The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” and its museums ranking among Sardinia’s most important cultural institutions. Besides being a cultural powerhouse, this Mediterranean land harbors the world's first identified Blue Zone – a term born from the blue pen marks that researchers Dan Buettner and Dr. Gianni Pes used to circle clusters of villages with extraordinary concentrations of centenarians.
Their longevity, however, isn’t a story of stress-free lives. As Dr. Pes emphasizes, “It is incorrect to say that the centenarians of the Sardinian Blue Zone have never experienced stress. We must keep in mind that many of them participated in the First or Second World War, often risking their lives...