Michael Corleone marries Apollonia in the Sicilian town of Corleone in The Godfather.
After fleeing the United States, Michael lives in Sicily under the protection of his father’s associates. He meets Apollonia Vitelli and marries her according to local custom. Their wedding is shown among the film’s Sicilian scenes, which were largely filmed in the villages of Savoca and Forza d’Agrò rather than in the real town of Corleone.
That distinction creates a common mix-up: Corleone is the fictional family’s namesake and the location identified in the story, while several visual locations were elsewhere in Sicily. The Bar Vitelli and church scenes familiar to viewers are in Savoca.
Michael’s life in Sicily ends abruptly when a car bomb intended for him kills Apollonia. Her death marks another decisive break between Michael’s personal hopes and his criminal destiny, leading to his return to America and eventual succession as head of the family.