The Woman Who Made Soap

Romeo Vitelli in Providentia:

Rome’s Museo Criminologico [Criminological Museum] may not be to everybody’s taste,  but it’s definitely worth seeing (alas, it’s now closed though, hopefully, that will change in future).  The museum’s collection features photographs and memorabilia from some of the most gruesome forensic cases in the long history of Italy. From Renaissance murders to the Mafia, this museum has it all.

It was there that I first learned about Leonarda Cianciulli, a.k.a. the “Soap Maker of Corregio” and her bizarre criminal career. While almost unknown outside of Italy, Leonarda’s career as a serial killer is still unparalleled in many ways, both for her unique method of concealing bodies and her rather odd motive for killing.

More here.