Do you love the Godfather trilogy? Of course you do, as everyone must! This Gangster drama was inspired by the eponymous novel by Mario Puzo in 1972 (its first part), and is still among the top 10 movies that have ever been made. Let’s remember a small hilly town and a bar with fly curtains hanging as you enter the door. Or you can remember a church where Michael and Appollonia were married.

Sorry to disappoint you, but… In fact, these kind of places are not in Corleone. The town was already in 70’s too modernized in comparison to thoughts of director Francis Ford Coppola. Therefore he chose other small towns, Savoca (Bar Vitelli is still open here and Chiesa di Santa Lucia is that church mentioned above) and Forza d’Agrò, on the opposite eastern part of Sicily. So these are places you would like to visit if you follow the steps of Don Corelone and its mafia family.

Corleone, Sicily by Michael Urso

However, Corleone was never too far from real mafia. If you ask the town’s residents, you will realize that business was majorly centered in Palermo whereas people or rather families lived in Corleone. It is also a birthplace of several former “capi di tutti capi”, such as Tommy Gagliano, Jack Dragna, Giuseppe Morello, Michele Navarra, Luciano Leggio, Leoluca Bagarella, Salvatore Riina or Bernardo Provenzano. The last three of them are still alive, but now rest in prison and will probably spend there the rest of their lives.

Now you can visit the Anti-Mafia Museum, which was opened here to remind the town’s history and is available for taking a tour so that you can learn more about mafia.

Gole del Drago by GinoDiLeo

But it’s mainly a great countryside that surrounds the town which makes Corleone so interesting. Nearby is the forest of Borgata Ficuzza nature reserve that is a place you will definitely want to visit if you are a nature lover and hiking enthusiast. In the neighborhood is Gole del Drago and La Cascata delle Due Rocche which are both gorgeous, natural features that include a river gully and a waterfall.

Corleone, Sicily by Milos Milosevic

The town is dominated with the rocky outcrop called Castello Soprano. You can climb on its top where you will find the remains of a Saracen castle and enjoy great views of the surrounding area. The most preferred way to reach the city is by car as you will be able to explore the breathtaking natural attractions that surround the town.

In addition to all the natural beauties, the town is also rich in archaeology. You can visit the Museo Civico or the multiple stunning churches, including the popular Chiesa Madre, to know more about the town and its history.

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