In the quiet Italian town of Correggio during the 1930s, a seemingly kindhearted woman named Leonarda Cianciulli gained a reputation as a devoted mother and trusted neighbor. But beneath her hospitable façade lurked a sinister obsession—one that led to the gruesome murders of three women, whose bodies she transformed into soap and teacakes.

In this chilling episode of Rogue Darkness, we unravel the twisted life and crimes of “The Soapmaker of Correggio,” exploring her troubled past, her belief in dark superstition, and the horrifying methods she used to “protect” her family. Was she a delusional killer driven by prophecy, or a cold-blooded murderer hiding behind folklore?

Join us as we step into the macabre kitchen of one of Italy’s most infamous murderers—where horror was brewed alongside soap bubbles.

📚 SOURCES:
•Balsamo, Paola. Il Museo Criminologico di Roma. Rome: Ministero della Giustizia, 2008.
•“Leonarda Cianciulli, the Soap-Maker of Correggio.” Murderpedia, murderpedia.org/male.C/c/cianciulli-leonarda.htm.
•Stille, Alexander. Benevolence and Blood: The Dark Life of Leonarda Cianciulli. Milan: Feltrinelli, 1999.
•“The Soap-Maker of Correggio.” Historic Mysteries, 23 Jan. 2023, historicmysteries.com/leonarda-cianciulli/.
•Dickie, John. Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
•“Leonarda Cianciulli: The Soap Maker of Correggio.” All That’s Interesting, 15 Sept. 2021, allthatsinteresting.com/leonarda-cianciulli.
•“Leonarda Cianciulli – The Soapmaker of Correggio.” The Crime Library, crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/cianciulli/.