History of Psychiatry Museum, Medical science museum in Reggio Emilia, Italy
The History of Psychiatry Museum occupies the restored Lombroso wing of the former San Lazzaro Psychiatric Hospital and displays medical instruments, scientific laboratory equipment, and treatment devices from the hospital's operational years. The collection documents the evolution of psychiatric treatment methods across several decades.
Carlo Livi founded the museum collection in 1875 while serving as director of the San Lazzaro Psychiatric Hospital to document advances in psychiatric treatment. The collection reflects how psychiatric care transformed over time.
The museum displays terracotta sculptures and drawings created by hospital patients during therapeutic art sessions spanning the late 1800s through the 1970s. These works show how creative expression became part of patient care.
The museum is accessible only through guided tours that take place every Saturday between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM, so advance planning is necessary. It is worth checking opening times before your visit as the schedule may change.
The first floor displays original restraint devices and early psychiatric treatment equipment, while preserved patient cells show the shift from institutional to modern psychiatry. This spatial arrangement lets visitors understand how approaches to patient care evolved.
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