“…In recent decades, continuous improvements achieved in human survival have stimulated studies and researches in various disciplines about the limit of lifespan (Olshansky et al, 1990;Parsons, 1996;Kannisto, 1996;Robine et al, 1997;Gavrilov & Gavrilova 2001;Vallin & Meslé, 2001;Carnes et al, 2003;Barbi et al, 2008), the increasing presence of centenarians and their main characteristics (see, among others, Jeune & Vaupel, 1995;Vaupel, 2000;Vaupel & Robine, 2002;Coles, 2003;Robine & Caselli 2005;Maier et al, 2010) and the possible determinants of their "successful" ageing (see, among others, Allard et al, 1996;Franceschi et al, 2000;Caselli & Lipsi, 2006;Willcox et al, 2006;Christensen et al, 2006;Franceschi et al, 2007;Murabito et al, 2012;Brooks-Wilson, 2013).…”