Things to see in Corleone

Corleone is a small town of approximately 11,000 inhabitants (2018) in the province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy. It is known primarily as the birthplace of Mafia boss Salvatore Riina and the Cosa Nostra. Even though the name of the city means “Lionheart”, the Mafia dominated the local community in the 1980s and 1990s. Today it is the home of an anti-Mafia museum that tells the story of the Mafia terror and the fight against organized crime.

Anti-Mafia Museum (Centro Internazionale di Documentazione sulla Mafia e del Movimento Antimafia (CIDMA)), Via G. Valenti 7, ☏ +39 340 402 5601. Visits are by guided tour only. English tours are available. Book in advance.

The Chiesa Madre (“Mother Church”), dedicated to St. Martin Bishop, was started in the late 1300s. Its appearance today has been influenced by numerous changes and renovations. Its interior has a nave and aisles divided into various chapels containing precious artwork, including a wooden statue representing San Filippo d’Agira from the 1600s, a statue representing San Biagio from the 1500s, and a fine marble panel depicting the Baptism of Christ from this same period.

The Chiesa dell'Addolorata church of the 1700s, dedicated to the Basilian abbot and patron saint San Leoluca, the Chiesa di Santa Rosalia, and the small Sant’Andrea (the latter two from the 1600s), all with important frescoes and paintings, are notable landmarks. The Santuario della Madonna del Rosario di Tagliavia, a religious building from the 19th century, is now a destination for pilgrims on Ascension Day.