When he was 35, Peppino Melis boarded a ferry to Italy. Destination: Umbria. He was a shepherd in Villagrande, but wanted to improve his living conditions, and together with three friends, Angelo Barrili, Angelo Buttau, and Michele Basoccu, who have long since passed away, he crossed the sea with a flock of 300 sheep.
This is where his long story begins, a story he shared with his grandchildren today on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Mr. Peppino put down roots in Città della Pieve, a town just outside Perugia, when he married Giulia Mansueti, who passed away about ten years ago. It was the 1970s. The couple had settled in Villastrada, a hamlet of Castiglione del Lago, also in the Perugia area.
The farmer knew that Villagrande cheese was high quality, but its producers were unable to develop a strong sales network. At that point, Melis purchased a van and returned to his hometown to stock up on goods that he then resold at Umbrian markets. Two years ago, he decided to permanently return to Villagrande, a town that holds the world record for male longevity, where last summer he even marched in traditional dress in the procession of Saint Barbara. He is independent, takes long walks downtown every day, and is surrounded by the affection of his sister and ten nieces and nephews. Furthermore, the newly centenarian is careful about his food intake: half a liter of milk with drops in the morning, 30 grams of pasta and half a glass of wine for lunch, a fruit snack in the afternoon, and a little soup for dinner. Today, he received a visit from the town's civil, military, and religious authorities. Mayor Alessio Seoni, Carabinieri Marshal Jonathan Marra, and the parish priest, Don Giuliano Pilia, arrived at the house on Via Eleonora d'Arborea. Due to the weather, the 100th anniversary celebration was postponed until Saturday.
