Corleone, Sicily: 5 Great Reasons to Visit

Yes, that Corleone, Sicily.

Corleone is a characteristic mountain community 60 kilometers high above Palermo, Sicily. Its name infamously evokes images of the Mafia and in the late-sixties, the town’s reputation was further immortalized as the setting for Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel The Godfather (Il Padrino) and later by Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 Oscar winning film of the same name. (Coincidentally, Al Pacino’s maternal grandparents were from Corleone).

But this kind of notoriety can be a double-edged sword. The Godfather is an obvious work of fiction, but Corleone’s story is not a Hollywood invention. The dark family saga was based on real and disturbing events that included decades of murder, oppression, terror and fear.

The good news is that city of Corleone has changed for the better. Crime bosses like Salvatore Totò Riina and Bernardo Provenzano, who once ruled with bloody iron fists, are now serving life sentences in prison. This terrorist organization has steadily lost its grasp on the city and Sicily as a whole. Thankfully, it’s a new day and a new Corleone.

5 Great Reasons to Visit Corleone

1. The Anti-Mafia Movement 

Il Laboratorio della Legalità (Anti-Mafia Museum)

In the not-too-distant-past the man on the street wouldn’t dare speak out against the Cosa Nostra for fear of violent repercussions. This makes the existence of the museum all the more impressive.

Housed in the confiscated home of Bernardo Provenzano, the museum was dedicated to the memory of Paolo Borsellino, the anti-mafia magistrate assassinated in 1992. Artist and activist Gaetano Porcasi uses paintings to create a stunning visual history of the massacres and murders. Their bright and vibrant colors are in stark contrast to those black days.

Il Laboratorio della Legalità is a beautiful, moving, sad and haunting reminder of the harsh realities that cast a shadow over Sicily. But the museum also represents hope and redemption, reflected in Corleone’s cultural and socio-political “spring” of the 1990s.

Practical information: Address – Piazza Garibaldi n. 1, 90034 Corleone (PA). Open Monday – Thursday 9.30 to 13.30. Guided tours by reservation. Donations requested. Gift shop sells Libera Terra (Mafia-free) products. Tel. 091/84524203, Fax 091/8464453, Email: info@laboratoriodellalegalita.it Website: http://www.laboratoriodellalegalita.it

If you’d like to learn more about the Anti-Mafia movement…

• Città Nuove di Corleone (New City of Corleone), a project by dedicated citizens to encourage and support a town free from the Mafia.

• Libera Terra (Freed Land), a cooperative supporting local farmers to produce Mafia-free products.

• Addiopizzo, a citizen’s coalition discouraging businesses from paying protection money to the Mafia.

2. Religious Sites – Corleone: “The City of a 100 Churches”

Built in the 13th century, the neo-classical Chiesa Madre (Mother Church) displays several important pieces of art including a 17th century wooden carving of San Filippo d’Agira, a 16th century statue representing Saint Biagio and marble panel of the Baptism of Christ from the same period.

Saint Augustine’s Church dates back to the 14th century and houses the Choir of Our Lady of Succour; Chiesa di Santa Rosalia and Chiesa Sant’Andrea contain important frescoes and paintings, and the 19th century Santuario della Madonna del Rosario di Tagliavia has become a popular destination for pilgrims on Ascension Day.

Perhaps the most beloved church in Corleone is Chiesa dell’Addolorata. Built in the 17th century, it’s dedicated to the town’s Patron Saint, LeoLuca. Born in Corleone, he died nearly 100 years later (80 of them living in a monastery). Each March 1st the Feast of St. LeoLuca is celebrated with a procession along the streets followed by the lighting of a bonfire.

Rising out of the mountain is a huge stone monolith, Castello Sottano. Once a medieval castle, then a prison, today it is home to the Franciscan Friars.

3. Historical Landmarks

Rocca Soprana lies just east of town and is marked by an ancient tower dating back to the Arab epoch.

Pippo Rizzo Archaeological Museum of Corleone exhibits finds from various ancient sites in the surrounding countryside. Via Orfanotrofio, 4; tel. 091 8464907

The International Centre for Documentation on the Mafias and of the Anti-mafia Movement presents documents and writings from the three maxi-trails – many written by slain judges Falcone and Borsellino. The Centre’s mission is to educate and sensitize the public about the struggles against the mafioso phenomenon. Via Orfanotrofio, 7; tel./fax 091 8452487; website: http://www.cidma.it; email: info@cidma.it

Piazza Nasce was formerly an old market square where tenant farmers used to gather in hopes of finding work.

4. Natural Wonders

Cascata delle due Rocche (Waterfall of the Two Rocks) is just a short walk from the historical center through the narrow streets of the San Giuliano district. Formed by a jump of the rivers San Leonardo and Belice, the waterfall cascades over two large rocks into a pool below. Plans are in place for the creation of a park along the river’s banks.

5. Festivals and Special Events 

Events

The Animosa Civitas Corleonis and Giovanni Bonanno Poetry Awards

Corleone Dialogos is an association that encourages citizens to “meditate on society, culture and politics in order to awaken their consciences to project the city over the limits that history has imposed on them.” The organization holds events such as book launches, debates on social, political and ethical subjects and publishes a newspaper.

Each year Corleone Dialogos presents two national poetry awards: Animosa Civitas Corleonis in Italian and the Giovanni Bonanno Award in Sicilian. This year’s three-day event will take place on August 23 and includes films, documentaries, music, readings and debates. Info at http://www.corleonedialogos.it

Celebrations/Feste

• Festa di San Leoluca a Corleone – March 1
• Procession of Dead Christ and of Our Lady of Sorrows – Good Friday
• Carnavale – March/April
• Pasqua a Corleone – Throughout Easter Week
• La Sagra di Ricotta – Easter Monday

Corleone is an easy day trip from Palermo or a perfect stop over on the way to the east coast of the island. Stay a day or two or more and discover the best reason for visiting Corleone…its people! Despite all the difficulties of the past, the Corleonesi are a resilient bunch – hard-working, honest, friendly and as warm as the bright Sicilian sun that shines down on them.

How to Get There From Palermo

By Car: (approx. 1 hr.) Take E90 to SS121 (towards toward Agrigento) to SS118 (Corleone/Marineo/Bolognetta), turning onto the SP80 and follow the signs into town.

By Bus: (approx. 1 ½ hrs.) AST bus departs from Palermo-Basile to the center of Corleone. Info: http:// www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it.

The author’s grandfather, Gioachino Di Bella, was born in Corleone in 1880. In April of 2014, nearly 134 years after his birth, she made her first “pilgrimage” to Sicily and her ancestral home of Corleone. You can read more about her experiences and stories of a life in Italy on her blog, Orvieto or Bust.