Nonna Silvi, Tuscan cook turned TikTok star, dies aged 85 at her Montespertoli home

A death reported on the morning of 31 October

Silvana Bini, known online as Nonna Silvi, died overnight at her home in Montespertoli, in the province of Florence. She was 85. Reports published on the morning of 31 October 2026 said the death had come during the night. Born on 26 March 1941, she grew up in a large family of eight children, and cooking had been part of her life since childhood.

Her grandson Gabriele, who filmed many of her early videos, said she kept her clarity until the end and described an illness that took her within a few weeks.

“Until her last breath she stayed lucid and actively interested in her activities. Sadly, an illness took her away in a few weeks.”

From family bakery to social media

Her working life centred on food for decades. In 2006 her son Marco opened the Forno Martini bakery in Castelfiorentino, and she began preparing sweet and savoury products there every day. The turning point came in October 2022, when Gabriele started recording her on his phone. One of the first clips showed her reacting to his new tattoo, and it spread quickly. Viewers responded to her traditional recipes, her irony and the blunt manner she used in front of the camera.

By the time of her death her reach was large across platforms. Reports cite about 4.3 million followers on Instagram, 2.1 million on TikTok and more than one million on Facebook.

Instagram4.3

TikTok2.1

Instagram

4.3 million followers

TikTok

2.1 million followers

Data from the article text

Books, awards and cooking for Qatar's royal family

In November 2023 her first book, Le ricette di una vita, was published by De Agostini. The same year she received the Italian Excellence Award and was named a Food Hero by TasteAtlas. In 2024 the company Nonna Silvi Srl Società Benefit was set up, and a second book, Nonnas italienische Küche, appeared in German. That August the Emir of Qatar invited her to Doha, where she cooked ragù, lasagne and brasato for the Al-Thani family. In 2025 she was named Creator of the Year at the TikTok Awards.

In May 2026 she sat as a judge on Celebrity Chef on TV8 alongside Alessandro Borghese. On 15 October 2026 she received the Food prize at the Forbes Italia Top Creators Awards 2026.

Family tributes

Gabriele's farewell message focused less on her online fame than on what she meant at home. Followers on Instagram and TikTok reacted to the news with emotion.

“What this woman gave the whole family is indescribable. I will love you forever, grandma.”

The most recent honour in the reports is the Forbes Italia prize, collected on 15 October in the Food category.