The Last Queen of Scanno: Why 94-Year-Old Margherita Ciarletta Became a Tourist Attraction

In the mountain village of Scanno in Abruzzo, Italy, tourists aren't just looking for picturesque views and historic churches. They're knocking on doors, asking one question: "Where will they find the Last Queen?" This is how 94-year-old Margherita Ciarletta is described. For over 70 years, she has been a living symbol of tradition, wearing the regional costume long abandoned by other residents.

Margherita Ciarletta was born in Scanno and has never left her hometown. She has lived in the same stone house since 1950. The 94-year-old stands out for wearing traditional regional costume every day. Currently, she is the only woman to pay tribute to the centuries-old tradition in this way.

Women in her village once had two outfits at their disposal. One was a long, rather baggy, dark woolen dress, which women wore on weekdays, including during daily chores and farm work. The other—a more elaborate, embroidered outfit with a richly decorated bodice and hat—was worn on Sundays and on holidays.

Margherita began wearing this traditional everyday outfit at the age of 18, and she hasn't parted with it since. Even her husband's displeasure didn't dissuade her from honoring this tradition.

"It never occurred to me to change my style. And no one forced me to do so, even though my husband didn't like it," she told ANSA.

This passion for tradition made her a recognizable figure, and not just locally. She became a tourist attraction of sorts. It's no longer just the beautiful views of the Abruzzo region , but the dignified senior citizen who is a destination for tourists. Tourists, searching for her, knock from door to door, asking locals about the "Last Queen," as the locals call her.

Ciarletta doesn't refuse guests a photo opportunity. When called upon, she sometimes looks out the window of her house, complementing the landscape of the idyllic village. She insists, however, that she's no celebrity. Instead, she explains, she's "just an ordinary grandmother, proud of her roots." Although full of kindness, she doesn't deny that this sudden popularity can be tiring, especially when tourists, uninvited, try to enter her home.

"Because I'm the last one in this costume, people look for a photo opportunity with me. But sometimes there are too many tourists and it can be annoying," she admitted in an interview with CNN.

Over the years, living in the same place, Ciarletta could observe the changes taking place in Scanno: the depopulation of the village, the abandonment of tradition.

"I miss forgotten traditions, I miss my husband who is dead, and the times when there were more people and neighbors, when we always ate together," she says.

Despite this, he still emphasizes that he leads a happy life.

- I wake up whenever I want, no earlier than nine o'clock, and find warm milk prepared by my son, he reveals in an interview with ANSA.

The senior assures us that she remains active, tending to her garden, going for walks, and cooking for loved ones. The only pleasure she's given up is her morning espresso at a local café.