Carcere di San Vittore, Prison in central Milan, Italy
San Vittore is a large detention facility in central Milan composed of six three-story wings extending in a star pattern from a central observation point. The cell blocks run along tall outer walls built with red brick, while an inner courtyard separates the different sections.
Construction was completed in 1879 following plans by architect Francesco Lucca, replacing the older prison at Broletto. From September 1943, the German SS took over three wings and held political prisoners and Jewish people there before deportation.
The name comes from a nearby church dedicated to Saint Victor that once stood in the area. Milanese residents often use the shortened form San Vittore when referring to the facility, which has become a fixed reference point in local conversation.
The facility stands at Piazza Filangieri 2 and can be recognized from outside by its tall brick walls and closed layout. Visits are not possible since it is an active prison used for judicial and preventive custody.
Between the prison wings lie small hexagonal courtyards called roses that provide individual inmates with a controlled outdoor exercise area. These courtyards prevent contact between inmates from different departments, as each rose can only be accessed from one wing.
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