"THE STORY OF ITALIAN LADY SERIAL KILLER - LEONARDA CIANCIULLI [SOAP-MAKER OF CORREGGIO]"

 

Leonarda Cianciulli, infamous as the "Soap-Maker of Correggio," remains one of the most unsettling figures in Italian criminal history. Her case is a bizarre intersection of superstition, maternal obsession, and gruesome clinical efficiency.

Childhood and Background

Born on April 14, 1894, in Montella, Italy, Cianciulli’s early life was reportedly miserable. She claimed her mother hated her because Leonarda was the product of a sexual assault. This strained relationship led Leonarda to believe her mother had placed a death curse on her.

Her adult life was plagued by tragedy. She married Raffaele Pansardi in 1917, against her parents' wishes, further fueling her paranoia about the curse. She moved to Correggio in 1930 after an earthquake destroyed her previous home. Throughout her life, she endured 17 pregnancies: three ended in miscarriage, and ten died in youth. Consequently, she became fanatically protective of her four surviving children.

Motives: The "Blood Sacrifice"

In 1939, her eldest and favorite son, Giuseppe, was called to join the Italian army for World War II. Paralyzed by the fear of the "curse" and the loss of her son, Cianciulli became convinced that his safety could only be guaranteed through human sacrifice. She believed that by taking the lives of others, she could "trade" those souls for her son’s life.

The Victims and Crimes (1939–1940)

Cianciulli targeted three middle-aged women who were neighbors or acquaintances, luring them with promises of a better life elsewhere.

Victim Her Deception

Faustina Setti - was lured with the promise of a husband found for her in Pola.

Francesca Soavi - promised a job at a school for girls in Piacenza.

Virginia Cacioppo, a former soprano, promised a job as a secretary in Florence.

Mode of Crime: "The Soap-Maker"

Cianciulli followed a methodical pattern for each murder:

1. The Trap: She convinced them to write letters to relatives saying they were fine but leaving town, to be mailed later.

2. The Murder: Once they visited her for a final goodbye, she drugged them with drugged wine and killed them with an axe.

3. The Disposal: She dismembered the bodies. She famously described boiling the remains with caustic soda to create a "thick, dark mush" used to make soap.

4. The Teacakes: She dried the blood in the oven, ground it into powder, and mixed it with flour, sugar, chocolate, and margarine to bake teacakes. She served these to her remaining children and unsuspecting neighbors.

Investigations and Arrest

The disappearance of Virginia Cacioppo (the third victim) proved to be Leonarda's undoing. Unlike the others, Cacioppo had a very suspicious sister-in-law who had seen Virginia enter Cianciulli’s house on the day she vanished and never saw her leave.

The sister-in-law reported her suspicions to the superintendent of police in Reggio Emilia. When police confronted Cianciulli, she initially remained calm, but once they suspected her son Giuseppe of involvement, she confessed to everything to protect him.

Verdict and Findings

The trial took place in 1946. Cianciulli remained unrepentant, even correcting the prosecutor on the technical details of how she handled the bodies during her testimony.

The sentence: She was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison and 3 years in a criminal asylum.

The Evidence: Police found several items belonging to the victims in her home, as well as the specialized tools she used for the "soap-making" process.

Aftermath and Current Status

Leonarda Cianciulli died of cerebral hemorrhage on October 15, 1970, in the criminal asylum in Pozzuoli at the age of 76.

The case remains a staple of Italian true crime and macabre folklore. Several of the artifacts from her crimes—including the pot used to boil the victims and the murder axe—are still on display at the Criminological Museum in Rome. Her story has since been adapted into numerous plays and films, cementing her legacy as one of the most macabre killers in history.