Pozzolengo’s Longevity Continues: Celebrating Nelda Boldrini’s 95 Years

In the 1980s, Pozzolengo gained national attention for the longevity of its inhabitants, many of whom were in their nineties and hundreds.

Many years have passed, and we are now in a new century and a new millennium, yet Pozzolengo continues to be a land of longevity. On March 28th, Nelda Boldrini celebrated her impressive 95th birthday.

Nelda Boldrini’s Life

Born in Solferino, in the Mantova Province, in 1926, she married Giuseppe Paroni, a resident of Rondotto, a hamlet of Pozzolengo, just a short distance from Solferino.

From her marriage, she had three children. Widowed since 1983, she remains extremely sharp, so much so that she reads the newspaper (Bresciaoggi no. d. r.) without glasses and sometimes in a peculiar way: resting it on the ground.

On Thursday the 5th, she reached the milestone of 93 years old; Barbara Grazioli, a primary school teacher for nearly 50 years, of which 45 were spent teaching multiple generations of Pozzolenghesi.

Living with Clarity Continues

Also widowed, mother of two children, one of whom is Maria Teresa, she is also a retired primary school teacher. SIGNORA Barbara remains very lucid, to the point of living alone—though her daughter lives in the apartment above hers—and spending her days reading and doing… yes, crossword puzzles.

Over ninety years old was Isidoro Tonnarelli, who unfortunately passed away last month. Mr. Isidoro was the last shepherd of Pozzolengo.

Memory of Isidoro Tonnarelli

A simple person, respectful of others, he loved nature. After many years spent in war, at the end of it, he chose the nomadic and evocative life of a shepherd.

For over twenty years, at the beginning of summer, he would head toward Trentino to Madonna di Campiglio, roughly one hundred kilometers on foot, guiding a flock to reach high pastures where there was silence, but where a nature lover like Isidoro could revel, immerse himself in the natural environment that shaped his soul, one respectful of everything and everyone.

Also married, father of two children, he passed away quietly, almost tiptoeing, consistent with his way of life, which made “not disturbing” a personal prerogative.