| Virginia Dighero | |
 | |
| Birth: | 24 December 1891 Lavagna, Liguria, Italy |
| Death: | 28 December 2005 Lavagna, Liguria, Italy |
| Age: | 114 years, 4 days |
| Country: |  ITA
|
| Validated | |
Virginia Dighero-Zolezzi (24 December 1891 – 28 December 2005) was an Italian supercentenarian whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was the oldest Italian person ever until her age was surpassed by Venere Pizzinato-Papo on 28 November 2010.
Biography
Dighero-Zolezzi in the 1930s.
Virginia Dighero-Zolezzi was born in Lavagna, Liguria, Italy on 24 December 1891. She married Giobatta Zolezzi and had two children: Giacomo and Attilio. Giobatta died in 1984 at the age of 89.
Dighero became the oldest living woman in Italy, following the death of 113-year-old Teresa Fumarola on 14 May 2003. She became the oldest living person in Italy, following the death of 112-year-old Giovanni Frau on 19 June 2003. On 6 June 2005, at the age of 113 years, 164 days, she surpassed the age of Teresa Fumarola, becoming the oldest Italian person ever.
Dighero became the oldest living person in Europe on 30 August 2005 following the death of 115-year-old Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper of the Netherlands. On 14 September 2005, at the age of 113 years, 264 days, she surpassed the age of Amalia Barone of the United States, becoming the oldest person ever born in Italy.
On 24 December 2005, Dighero celebrated her 114th birthday in the company of her two children Giacomo (aged 83) and Attilio (aged 80). On that occasion, she was visited by the mayor of Lavagna, Giuliano Vaccarezza, and received a telegram from the President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
Dighero-Zolezzi died of ischaemia in Lavagna, Liguria, Italy on 28 December 2005 at the age of 114 years, 4 days. At the time of her death, she was the seventh-oldest living person in the world (behind Maria Capovilla, Elizabeth Bolden, Bettie Wilson, Susie Gibson, Emiliano Mercado del Toro and Julie Winnefred Bertrand).
Following her death, 112-year-old Giulia Sani-Casagli became the oldest known living person in Italy and then-113-year-old Camille Loiseau of France became the oldest living person in Europe.
References
- Gerontology Research Group
- Morta a 114 anni la nonnina d'Europa ilGiornale.it, 30 December 2005
- Virginia Zolezzi Dighero Find A Grave