Characteristic properties of the coronene layer formed on Au(111) for the epitaxial growth of various fullerenes are described. The electrochemical behavior of the coronene adlayer prepared by immersing a Au(111) substrate into a benzene solution containing coronene was investigated in 0.1 M HClO4. The as-prepared coronene adlayer on Au(111) revealed a well-defined (4 x 4) structure. Structural changes of the array of coronene molecules induced by potential manipulation were clearly observed by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Supramolecularly assembled layers of fullerenes such as C-60, C-70, C-60-C-60 dumbbell dimer (C-120), C-60-C-70 cross-dimer (C-130), and C-60 triangle trimer (C-180) were formed on the well-defined coronene adlayer on the Au(111) surface by immersing the coronene-adsorbed Au(111) substrate into benzene solutions containing those molecules. The adlayers thus prepared were characterized by comparison with those which were directly attached to the Au(111) surface. The C-60 molecules formed a honeycomb array with an internal structure in each C-60 cage on the coronene adlayer, whereas C-70 molecules were one-dimensionally arranged with the same orientations. The dimers, C-120 and C-130 molecules, formed an identical structure with c(11 x 4 root 3)rect symmetry. For the C-130 cross-dimer molecule, C-60 and C-70 cages were clearly recognized at the molecular level. It was difficult to identify the adlayer of the C-180 molecule directly attached to Au(111); however, individual C-180 molecules could be recognized on the coronene-modified Au(111) surface. Thus, the adlayer structures of those fullerenes were strongly influenced by the underlying coronene adlayer, suggesting that the insertion of a coronene adlayer plays an important role in the formation of supramolecular assemblies of fullerenes.