A small mountain town in central Sicily, known for its 14th-century churches and Mafia history. Located 600m above sea level among olive groves and vineyards.
Corleone, a small town in Sicily's mountainous interior, sits 57 kilometers south of Palermo. In the town center, you'll find the 14th-century Chiesa Madre with its marble baptism panel, and the CIDMA museum where you can learn about Sicily's anti-mafia movement. A 20-minute walk leads you to the Due Rocche waterfall, while the limestone mountains around town create an intricate network of karst formations and streams.
Getting to Corleone
You can drive from Palermo to Corleone in about an hour through mountain roads. Public buses connect the two cities, but a small rental car makes it easier to explore the narrow streets and mountain paths. You'll find parking spots throughout the town center.
The CIDMA Museum Experience
The International Documentation Center on the Mafia and Anti-Mafia Movement documents Sicily's fight against organized crime through photographs, court documents, and multimedia exhibits. Visit the Laboratory of Legality, set in a confiscated mafia property, where you can see 53 paintings by Gaetano Porcasi depicting anti-mafia milestones. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00-17:00.
Mountains and Waterfalls
Walk to the Due Rocche waterfall by following the path past the church of Our Lady of the Two Fortresses. The Ficuzza Wood covers 17,000 acres with marked paths between 1 and 8 kilometers long. You can visit the Real Casina di Caccia, an 1799 hunting lodge built for Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. Along the former railway to San Carlo, look for the limestone pools and small waterfalls carved by the Frattina River.
Historical Churches
Step inside the Chiesa Madre to see its 17th-century wooden statue of San Filippo d'Agira and 16th-century marble panel of Christ's baptism. The Chiesa dell'Addolorata's ceiling shows biblical frescoes from the 1700s. In the churches of Santa Rosalia and Sant'Andrea, both from the 1600s, you can examine painted murals of saints' lives.
Local Dining
Look for restaurants near the town hall serving Sicilian pasta, meat dishes, and local wines. Pizza Nasce' in the center sells pizza by the slice. Many restaurants close during afternoon hours and some days of the week, so check opening times before going.
