Volterra Psychiatric Hospital, former psychiatric hospital in Volterra, Italy
The Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra is a former psychiatric hospital in Tuscany, Italy, consisting of several large stone buildings with tall windows and long corridors. The grounds stretch across a wide area with courtyards, workshops, and garden spaces that once served the facility's self-sufficiency.
The hospital opened in 1888 in a former poorhouse of a convent and grew under Luigi Scabia into a self-sufficient facility with workshops and stores. In 1978 the building was abandoned following the nationwide closure of psychiatric institutions.
The name Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra recalls a time when psychiatric facilities functioned like small villages, with patients working in workshops and gardens. Today visitors still see the courtyards where people once spent their days outdoors, and feel the silence of these abandoned walls.
The site is not officially open to visitors, but some local groups organize guided tours for those interested in learning about its history and wall engravings. The decayed structures are hazardous, so visitors should only explore with experienced guides.
A patient named Oreste Fernando Nannetti spent years carving texts and images into the courtyard walls with a belt buckle, creating a long artwork filled with stories. His engravings, known as N.O.F.4, remain visible today and tell of his thoughts during confinement.
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