Sestola (Modena), August 23, 2026 – When we met her yesterday morning, Wanda Corradi was in the kitchen, lively, dynamic and ready for conversation.
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It is hard to imagine that she turned 104 years old last August 18. Shortly before our meeting, she had been at the bar with her daughter Miriam and son-in-law Corrado.
A daily habit: a kilometer and a half on foot round trip, to reach Sestola, sit at a table and spend some time in company.
“I like going to the bar – Wanda says –. Sometimes we have an aperitif, other times a cappuccino. We sit at a table and chat.”
“Until a few years ago she used to dive into the icy waters”
Until 96 years old Wanda continued to go to the sea with her family in Liguria, in Lavagna. “She used to bathe in the icy waters at half past eight in the morning. She has a strong liver,” smiles her daughter Miriam.
And until 95-96 years old she cooked every Saturday for her children and grandchildren.
Wanda was born in Sestola and now she is the longest-living holidaymaker in the area. For work reasons, she moved to Modena in 1956, while continuing to spend summer holidays in her hometown, where her father ran the butcher shop. Wanda’s sisters Domenica and Clara also lived in Sestola: they too had well surpassed the century mark.
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“They were always together – Miriam says –. They were curious and in love with life. They sang together, ate something and remembered the past. Think that even today, when we have a medical appointment, it is always mom who reminds us well in advance.”
“I never missed a Formula 1 race”
Wanda’s husband was Giacomo Berri. Together they had two children: Miriam, a former English Literature teacher at the Muratori high school in Modena, and Giuseppe, who passed away this year, a urologist surgeon at the Estense hospital. Today Wanda lives alone, with the assistance of her daughter. She has kept her passions: she is a Ferrari fan, follows politics with interest and, at the table, does not hide a preference for ricotta tortelloni. “Until a few years ago I never missed a Formula 1 race.”
At one hundred years old, greetings from Matteo Renzi
A special memory is linked to her hundredth birthday: “The then Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wrote me a beautiful letter of congratulations.”
Among the most vivid memories of Mrs. Wanda are those of the Second World War. “I was terrified of the bombs – she says –. When I heard the siren I ran with my daughter to a place I considered safer. I held her head resting on mine.”
The family also experienced evacuation. From Sestola they moved to Roncoscaglia, then came the Liberation and the return home. “The trees were in bloom and we were happy to be able to return to normality.” Even if four days late, we gladly join in wishing Mrs. Wanda a happy birthday, loved by all for her availability, generosity and sweetness.
