Emma Morano, the world's oldest person, has died aged 117.
Ms Morano was believed to be the last surviving person to be born in the 1800s and died at her home in Northern Italy on Saturday (local time).
She had been living in a one-bedroom apartment in Verbania, where she was kept company by her caregiver and two elderly nieces.
Dr Carlo Bava, who had been Ms Morano's physician for nearly 25 years, told The Associated Press he had last seen his patient on Friday, when "she thanked me and held my hand", as she did every time he saw her.
Ms Morano credited living a life spanning three centuries to her genetics and also a rather unusual diet, including biscuits and three eggs a day - two of them raw.
These she ate for more than 90 years, rarely touching fruit or vegetables, her doctor said.
Ms Morano was born on November 29, 1899 and in her long life she survived an abusive marriage, the loss of her only son, two World Wars and more than 90 Italian governments.
She had not left her small two-room apartment for more than 20 years.
According to the US-based Gerontology Research Group (GRG), the world's oldest person is now Jamaican Violet Brown, who was born on March 10, 1900.
Newshub.
