In Scanno, a medieval village deep in the wild mountains of central Italy’s Abruzzo region, one woman dresses as if time has never moved on.

At 94, Margherita Ciarletta — witty, fiercely independent and guarded about her privacy — is the last person who wears Scanno’s centuries-old traditional clothing every single day.

Tourists who make their way through the cobbled alleys aren’t just here for the mountain views or ornate churches. They come searching for “Nonna Margherita,” or as locals call her, “L’Ultima Regina” — the Last Queen.

Often, they wander through the village knocking on doors until they finally find her and pose for selfies with her. Yet Ciarletta resists the spotlight. She’s not a superstar, she insists. She’s just a normal grandmother who is proud of her rural roots.

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