Not far from our organic farm sits Caltabellotta, a quiet mountain town of fewer than 3,500 people, where our founder, Irene Forte, was married and is proud to be an honorary citizen. Recently recognized as an emerging Blue Zone, it’s one of the few places in the world where longevity is simply a way of life.
The term "Blue Zone" was first coined by longevity researchers studying regions around the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. Although located in remote areas, the Blue Zones have attracted growing international attention in recent years, from researchers, media, and travelers alike. With only a handful in the world, Blue Zones are regions associated with exceptional longevity, where people routinely live into their 90s and beyond. These communities share distinct lifestyle and environmental factors conducive to healthy aging.
Caltabellotta now joins this rare list, thanks to a study led by Professor Gianni Pes, who first identified the Blue Zone in Sardinia, and Professor Calogero Caruso, one of Italy’s leading voices in biogerontology. Their research shows:
-
Between 1900 and 1924, 472 nonagenarians were born in Caltabellotta — 8.9% of all births
-
31 centenarians were identified — approximately 1 in every 171 births, comparable to Sardinia’s Blue Zone
-
The percentage of ninety-year-olds in the population has risen from 3.6% to 14% over the past century
“We had long suspected something unique was happening in Sicily’s mountain towns,” says Professor Pes. “Caltabellotta stood out - not only in the data, but in its deeply rooted traditions, diet, and way of life.”
"Caltabellotta," says Professor Caruso, "is a true natural laboratory for longevity, offering compelling evidence of how environmental factors, diet, stress levels, and lifestyle habits can profoundly shape the aging process. While genetic predisposition plays a role, it is ultimately our lifestyle, the environment we live in, the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the quality of our social connections that most influence our long-term health."
It’s a remarkable statistic. But for us, it’s also personal.
“I’ve been visiting this town for over a decade. I love it so much that I chose to get married here, and I’m proud to be an honorary citizen. To now see it recognized through such rigorous science is deeply moving. It confirms what we’ve always felt in our bones - this place has something special,” says Irene Forte.
Caltabellotta is part of the same landscape that inspired our skincare, just 22km from Verdura Resort, home to our organic farm. When Irene launched the brand, she called it the “Mediterranean diet for the skin” because the very principles that support healthy aging from the inside out also apply to the skin. Nutrient-dense ingredients, grown in mineral-rich Sicilian soil. Products designed to protect and restore, not strip. A daily ritual that works with your skin, not against it.
Irene’s Long-Term Skin Health Favorites include:
Almond Cleansing Milk: A hydrating and calming sulphate-free cleanser with Wild Rose and Sweet Almond Oil.
Hibiscus Serum: Wrinkle-reducing and lifting serum with Myoxinol™, a neuropeptide derived from Hibiscus Seeds.
Olive Eye Cream: An all-in-one, fast-absorbing eye cream with upcycled Olive Seed Oil.
Prickly Pear Face Cream: A wrinkle-reducing and calming moisturizer with Myoxinol™ and Prickly Pear Polysaccharides.
Pistachio Body Oil: A plumping and firming body oil with a patented extract of Phytomelatonin and Sicilian Pistachio.
