My parents had a Persian cat when I was younger... she lived till she was 17. She was a wonderful cat, very affectionate and pretty calm. They are gorgeous cats... as everyone already said, they shed a lot, but you had to have already known that before asking
ETA: I have heard that Persians (especially the ones with blue eyes) are more prone to blindness, so you know.
__________________ A Zeta and a 'Cane... the best of both worlds!