The Recipe: Blood and Lye

The Recipe: Blood and Lye

Author: Pretty Wicked | Southern Gothic Media May 27, 2026 Duration: 28:18
In a quiet Italian town, there was a woman everyone trusted. She baked. She welcomed people in. She was the kind of person no one questioned. And then people started disappearing. When she finally confessed, it wasn’t just what she had done… it was why. SHOW NOTES 🖤 FOLLOW PRETTY WICKED New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe so you never miss one. Instagram: @prettywickedthepodcast If you loved this episode, leaving a review means the world and helps other listeners find the show. Pretty Wicked is hosted by Megan Alda. 🖤 SOURCES & FURTHER READING Here is everything used to research this episode. 🔗 WEB SOURCES Weird Italy - Leonarda Cianciulli, the Soapmaker of Correggio https://weirditaly.com/2013/04/25/leonarda-cianciulli-the-soapmaker-of-correggio/ All That's Interesting - The Chilling Story of Leonarda Cianciulli https://allthatsinteresting.com/leonarda-cianciulli Utterly Interesting - The Crimes of Leonarda Cianciulli https://www.utterlyinteresting.com/post/the-crimes-of-leonarda-cianciulli-the-soap-maker-of-correggio Cardinal Points Online - Soap Maker of Correggio https://cardinalpointsonline.com/cardinal-sins-soap-maker-of-correggio-murders-three-women/ Medium - Mother Dearest: The Crimes of Leonarda Cianciulli https://medium.com/@rocknrollgeek1975/mother-dearest-the-crimes-of-leonarda-cianciulli Museo Criminologico, Rome - The Correggio Soap-Maker http://www.museocriminologico.it/correggio_uk.htm Life in Italy - Italy During the Second World War https://lifeinitaly.com/italy-second-world-war/ History Rise - Italy Under Mussolini https://historyrise.com/italy-under-mussolini-fascism-propaganda-and-world-war-ii/ Chapman University - Italian Society During World War II https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=history_books Working Class History - Italian Resistance https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e77-80-italian-resistance/ Baltimore Sun - "Rendered Her Friends to Wax, She Says" (April 28, 1946) Referenced in multiple secondary sources above - original print archive only. 📚 BOOKS The Curse: A Shocking True Story of Superstition, Human Sacrifice and Cannibalism - Ryan Green (2019) Confessioni di Un'Anima Amareggiata (Confessions of a Bitter Soul) - Leonarda Cianciulli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a particular chill that comes from a story told well, a history half-remembered, or a crime that defies easy explanation. Macabrium is built in that space, a podcast where the past isn’t just prologue-it’s an active, whispering presence. Guided by the compelling narration of actors Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, this series from Southern Gothic Media delves into the shadows where true crime, unsolved mysteries, and regional folklore intertwine. Each episode is a deep dive, whether it’s examining a cold case that still haunts a community, unraveling a local legend passed down for generations, or exploring a historical oddity that challenges the official record. The tone here is immersive and thoughtful, less about sensationalism and more about the lingering resonance of these narratives. You’ll find the production favors atmosphere and careful research, allowing the weight of the stories to settle. It’s for anyone who feels that pull toward the unexplained and the eerily beautiful, who understands that the most captivating tales are often those tinged with melancholy and mystery. Listening to this podcast feels like uncovering secrets; some will genuinely surprise you, while others might linger in your thoughts, prompting a second look at the history you thought you knew. New installments arrive every Tuesday to continue the exploration.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 8

Pretty Wicked
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