Oldest man in Europe passes away at the age of 112

Italian Vitantonio Lovallo has passed away at the age of 112. Until his death, he was considered the oldest living man in Europe. This was reported by "Corriere della Sera", ANSA, and the Gerontology Research Group.

Lovallo lived in the village of Sarnelli in the municipality of Avigliano, Potenza province, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. He was born in 1914 and celebrated his 112th birthday in March 2026.

Official documents state his date of birth as March 28, 1914. However, Lovallo and his family insisted that he was actually born on March 25. According to the Gerontology Research Group, this discrepancy arose due to a delay in birth registration.

In his youth, Lovallo worked as a shepherd and a mule driver. During World War II, he was conscripted into military service and, after September 1943, was captured by German troops in Greece. Later, he was deported to a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany and was liberated on May 8, 1945.

After the war, Lovallo returned to his native Basilicata, spending most of his life in Sarnelli. He had three children — two daughters and a son.

Avigliano Mayor Giuseppe Mecca described Lovallo's life upon his passing as a long journey defined by simplicity, resilience, and love for his family and homeland.

Vitantonio Lovallo passed away at the age of 112 on September 15, 2026, in Avigliano. His funeral is scheduled to take place on September 17 at the San Vincenzo Ferrer Church in the village of Sarnelli.

Following Lovallo's death, the title of the oldest man in Europe passed to 111-year-old Portuguese Joakim Varela. He was born on June 1, 1915, and his age has been verified by the Gerontology Research Group.

Meanwhile, the oldest person in Europe is 117-year-old British citizen Ethel Caterham. She was born on August 21, 1909. According to the Gerontology Research Group, Varela ranks 32nd on the list of the oldest people in Europe, right after 31 women.