Leonarda Cianciulli: Italy's 'Soap-Maker of Correggio

Leonarda Cianciulli, famously referred to as "The Soap-Maker of Correggio," stands out as one of Italy's most notorious and perplexing female serial killers. Her life and crimes weave a chilling narrative marked by an extraordinary amalgamation of superstition, brutality, and an utterly twisted sense of family loyalty. This article endeavors to delve deeply into the multifaceted life, heinous crimes, and eventual downfall of Leonarda Cianciulli, leaving an indelible mark on Italy's dark history of criminality.

Born on April 14, 1894, in Montella, a small town nestled within the Campania region of southern Italy, Leonarda Cianciulli's early life was fraught with hardship and tragedy. She grappled with mental health issues and endured a tumultuous childhood, marked by instability and emotional turmoil. At the tender age of 13, she made a harrowing attempt at suicide, a foreshadowing of the disturbing trajectory her life would eventually take.

At 23, Leonarda embarked on a new chapter in her life by marrying Raffaele Pansardi, a registry office clerk. The couple settled in the charming town of Lariano in the province of Rome, where they went on to raise a family of four children. Leonarda's devotion to her family was boundless, and it was this fervent desire to protect her loved ones that would eventually propel her down a path dark and twisted.

Leonarda Cianciulli's foray into the realm of criminality commenced in 1939, driven by an overwhelming belief in the power of human sacrifices to shield her family from harm. Her son, Giuseppe, was drafted into the Italian Army, and the impending World War II heightened her anxiety. In her fervor to protect her son and family, she hatched a macabre plan that would unfold over the course of 17 years.

During this harrowing period, Leonarda lured three middle-aged women into her home under the deceptive guise of assisting them in finding suitable husbands. Her unsuspecting victims were Faustina Setti, Francesca Soavi, and Virginia Cacioppo. Leonarda would drug her victims with wine laced with sedatives, rendering them powerless. In a display of cold-blooded brutality, she would then mercilessly murder them with an axe. Following these gruesome acts, she took the macabre step of dismembering their lifeless bodies, extracting their blood, which she believed held the key to her family's safety.

The morbid remains of her victims were utilized in two gruesome ways. The first involved boiling the flesh and fat of the victims to create a sinister, soap-like substance. Leonarda firmly believed that this grotesque concoction would not only cleanse her family's reputation but also safeguard them from the malevolent forces of the world. The second method revolved around drying and grinding the blood of her victims into a powder, which was then employed in the preparation of tea cakes. These cakes, which contained the pulverized blood, were proffered to her unsuspecting neighbors as tokens of goodwill, a chilling act of deceit that concealed the heinous acts committed within the confines of her home.

The revelation of Leonarda Cianciulli's crimes, however, remained hidden for years. The turning point occurred when a local woman, Francesco Soavi, went missing, arousing suspicion in her sister. The diligent efforts of Soavi's sister led to the involvement of the police, who subsequently launched an investigation. In September 1940, Leonarda was apprehended, and her reign of terror came to a gruesome conclusion.

During the trial that ensued, Leonarda Cianciulli displayed no trace of remorse for her heinous acts. She was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison, with an additional three years in a criminal asylum. Remarkably, despite the sheer brutality of her actions, her defense argued that she was insane, citing her history of mental health issues.

To this day, Leonarda Cianciulli remains one of Italy's most infamous female serial killers, her name forever synonymous with the bizarre and gruesome nature of her crimes. Her case continues to captivate and horrify, serving as a stark reminder of the depths of darkness the human psyche can plumb. The story of the "Soap-Maker of Correggio" stands as a chilling example of how superstition and misguided loyalty can converge to lead to unimaginable acts of violence, etching a grim legacy in the annals of Italy's criminal history.