It was a night wrapped in thick fog. The small Italian town of Correggio was quiet and still

It was a night wrapped in thick fog. The small Italian town of Correggio was quiet and still, 

 

yet shrouded in a strange air of fear. In the middle of the town stood a dilapidated old house. There lived a woman named Leonarda Cianciulli, born in 1894. On the outside, she appeared to be an ordinary woman—cheerful, kind to her neighbors, and known for baking cakes. But on the inside, she was becoming a monster driven by a thirst for blood.

From a young age, she believed her life was cursed. Her mother had cursed her at birth, and this fear had slowly become ingrained in her. As she lost one child after another, she was driven to the brink of insanity. She had been pregnant 17 times but lost 13 children to illness and accidents. Only four of her children survived, and her favorite among them was her son, Giuseppe.

In late 1939, news broke that World War II had begun. Italy was sending troops to the battlefield. Leonarda’s beloved son, Giuseppe, was also to be sent to war. When she heard the news, she broke down, crying and beating her chest, saying, "I can't lose anyone else. If he dies in the war, my life will be over." Her mind was haunted by a prophecy. A fortune teller had told her, "You will end your life in prison, and blood will be shed in your life." Another prophecy she had heard suggested, "If you give a life, your son's life will be saved."

This is how a horrifying belief took root in her mind: that by sacrificing the blood and flesh of others, she could save her son from death.

The beginning of those dark days was February 17, 1940. An unmarried woman named Faustina Setti came to Leonarda. Faustina had been trying to find a husband for a long time without success. Leonarda told her, "I have found a wealthy husband for you, but don't tell anyone." She cunningly had Faustina write farewell letters so no one would suspect anything. Then, inside the house, she mixed sleeping pills into her wine. When Faustina became unconscious, Leonarda crushed her head with a single blow from an axe. That same night, she chopped the body into pieces and threw them into a large pot with caustic soda. The flesh and bones dissolved into a murky liquid. She separated the blood, mixed it with flour, and made sweet cakes. The next day, neighbors came and ate the cakes with a smile, unaware that Faustina's blood was mixed inside.

A little later, on September 5, 1940, Leonarda targeted another woman named Francesca Soavi. This time, she told her, "I have arranged a teaching job for you abroad. You are lucky." Just like before, she had Francesca write farewell letters. Then came the drugged drink, the axe blow, and the horrific dismemberment. Her body also went into the caustic soda pot. Leonarda also made cakes with her blood. She whispered to herself, "I have sacrificed another soul. Now my son will be safe."

But her thirst didn't stop there...

On September 30, 1940, an opera singer named Virginia Casioppo fell into Leonarda's trap. Virginia had once been a famous artist, but her popularity had waned with age. Leonarda tempted her, "I can get you a chance to sing with a big group in Florence." That afternoon, as Virginia stepped into her room, she was caught in the trap. Again, the same method—farewell letters, a drugged drink, and a brutal axe blow. But this time, Leonarda didn't stop there. She collected the fat from Virginia's body. She melted the fat and made soap. With a smile, she handed the soap to her neighbors, saying, "It's very good; it keeps the body clean." And with her blood, she made sweet cakes.

Three women—Faustina, Francesca, and Virginia! All of them disappeared into Leonarda's pot, soap, and cakes. But the secret couldn't be kept forever. Virginia's relatives grew suspicious about her disappearance. The police began an investigation, and the trail led to Leonarda's house.

When the police started questioning her, she was initially silent. But when she heard that her son would be arrested, Leonarda cried out, "No! He's innocent! I did everything... I did it." In court, she described each murder without hesitation, in a chillingly calm voice. There was a strange smile on her face. She had said, "Those women were really sweet. The cakes made with their blood were very delicious."

In 1946, the court sentenced her to 30 years in prison and three years in a criminal asylum. She eventually died in prison in 1970.

Even today, her large iron pot, axe, and soap are kept in the Museum of Crime in Rome. When people see these, their skin crawls. Because Leonarda was not just a murderer; she was a frightening monster driven by blind motherhood and superstition, who turned human flesh into cake and soap to save her son's life.

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