The Guardian World · Oct 18, 2026

Is sisterhood the secret to a long life? The Sardinian village that could hold key to women’s longevity

Meet some of the elderly residents of Bolotana, in line to be the world’s sixth ‘blue zone’ for its high number of female centenarians When Giovanna Marras opens the door to her home in Bolotana, a mountain village in central Sardinia, her eyes are bright with curiosity as she sizes up her visitors. The sisters are full of life, talking animatedly.