Sardinia’s Blue Zone is expanding; researchers are now studying the centenarians of Bolotana
In homes built in the Marghine mountains and near the River Tirso, women are three times more likely than in the rest of Italia to reach the age of 100
The ‘Blue Zone’ is expanding. And Sardinia’s mosaic of centenarians has gained another piece. It is Bolotana, a village of just over two thousand inhabitants in the Province of Nuoro.
Here, in the houses built amongst the Marghine mountains and near the River Tirso, women are three times more likely than in the rest of Italia to reach the age of 100 .
The international study
This hypothesis is supported by an international study involving, amongst others, the University of Sassari and the University of Illinois at Chicago, published in the journal *Frontiers in Aging*.
This is certainly nothing new for the island, which has long been the focus of international studies precisely because of its population of centenarians. Around fifteen municipalities between Barbagia and Ogliastra have rightfully earned their place amongst the so-called ‘Blue Zones’ – those areas of the world with record-high life expectancy figures. Now, Bolotana could be added to the map.
Through the researchers’ lens
For some time, researchers had noticed that the municipality is home to an unusual concentration of centenarians: in 2024, there were six. The team therefore reviewed the data contained in the municipal register and the parish records, tracing the history of the community back over a century and making an unexpected discovery.
