Sweethearts who had been married for 64 years died within an hour of each other as they held hands for the last time, their family has revealed.
Christian Runggaldier, 89, is understood to have died of heart failure at the family home in Ortisei in the Italian Alps on 17th December.
Just an hour later his grief-stricken 88-year-old wife Maria passed away as she held his hand, local media reported on 18th January.
The couple had wed in 1960 and ran a small hotel and restaurant in the mountain village where they were buried in a joint ceremony.
Locals said the pair led a quiet life and each morning, they could be seen walking side by side, going for a coffee, and chatting with their fellow villagers.
They were well-liked by the community and lent a hand whenever needed.
They leave behind five children, named as Oskar, Werner, Waltraud, Martina and Gerald, 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
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