Previously on Broken Window Theory:
In our recent road trip episode we were exploring two former educational institutes in Italy.
One of them was this derelict college.
The building complex has an impressive history and thousands of children were educated here in the past.
The second spot is known as “Globe School” in the urbex community.
Here we discovered a totally untouched classroom where everything was left behind.
This was a really stunning discovery!
But the abandoned place in today’s episode is even more impressive.
Hold on tight!
We were dreaming of this exploration for many years.
And today is the day.
In the center of a small town somewhere in the Northern part of Italy this abandoned hospital is located.
It’s a place every one of us was looking forward to explore.
Because it’s probably the most iconic abandoned place of the whole country.
From the outside the historical building complex looks rather unimposing.
Pedestrians would never guess what’s hidden inside here.
Today we’re here to find out if the structure is still as impressive as it was in the past.
And to unveil its sinister story.
However, to find a way inside wasn’t that easy.
But that’s probably a good sign.
Because the harder it is to get inside an abandoned building
the more untouched it might be in our experience.
After the whole squad crawled inside through this tiny hole,
it’s now finally time to start exploring the huge asylum.
After several years of vacancy, the decay is already in an advanced stage.
But you won’t find any graffiti or vandalism inside the whole complex.
While venturing through the impressive hallways it feels like time is standing still here.
One of the first things we noticed is the stunning architecture you can find in the whole asylum.
It already starts right here at the entrance with this remarkable chapel.
All those small details make this part of the building especially impressive.
Also, those long hallways with the tall windows are creating a unique atmosphere.
Especially in combination with the two big inner yards
which are completely overtaken by nature now.
Everything seems airy and bright.
But actually, the history of this place is rather dark.
But let us start at the beginning.
Many centuries ago a hospital for poor people was built at this very location.
It was operated by a charitable society.
Later this facility was used as a military academy for some time.
Until it was eventually transformed into an asylum around 1870.
In the next century the facility was expended more and more.
Because of its central location in the middle of the region it was easy to reach from everywhere.
On an area covering around 20 hectares several new buildings were constructed
like a heating plant, a laundry or even an aqueduct.
And so, a fully self-contained city inside a city was built.
But most of the other houses were knocked down by now or have new functions.
Today only the main building of the asylum is interesting for us.
At its peak over 500 doctors, nurses and maintenance workers were employed here.
And this was absolutely necessary,
because starting at World War Two
not less than 1.000 patients were housed here at the same time during the following decades.
In the 60s and 70s there were even around 1.500 mentally ill people living here at once.
Only a few years later the downsizing of the facility started.
Still today, 40 years later, we were able to discover old medical equipment in the hospital.
Like old-fashioned X-ray machines for example.
This is something you don’t see every day.
Even dental equipment was left behind.
But the most famous photo motive of this asylum is the vintage operating theater.
By now everyone should have realized that this place is extremely close to urbex heaven.
In the video of the first abandoned Italian asylum we had explored on our trip
we already mentioned the Basaglia Law.
This was the reason why so many old clinics in the country are rotting away today.
In 1978 the reform which was supposed to restructure all the Italian psychiatric hospitals came into force.
Because until then they all were in the deplorable state
The therapies basically consisted of captivity, fixation, electroshocks and psychotropic drugs.
Compulsory hospitalization was daily fare.
Especially in this facility doctors were working with experimental surgical operations of the nerve system,
in order to cure mentally ill patients.
Many Italian people knew that the approaches and structures in general were outdated.
However, many years passed until a reform eventually became active.
But due to the Basaglia Law patients were finally treated like human beings.
When the law came into force there were still around 900 patients in this asylum.
After that the facility started to discharge them.
Ten years later there were still over 200 people left and another ten years later all the patients were released to the community.
And now it was time to finally close down the compound for good.
Without doubt the Basaglia Law was absolutely necessary.
But the problem is that the reform came into force
before there were any proper structures to support the former patients of those asylums.
Because many of them were imprisoned for several decades
and they didn’t know anything else than the psychiatric wards.
They neither had any family nor other reference points to the real world.
On the one hand the former patients were now finally free
but on the other hand they didn’t know what to do with their freedom.
After many years of decay some parts of the building complex are liable to collapse today.
Two years before our exploration a wall inside this facility broke down.
After that the whole building was checked and at many places additional supporting beams needed to be attached
in order to keep the structure from collapsing.
When we saw those pillars, we weren’t sure if we should spend much more time inside the ramshackle psychiatry.
For reasons of safety, even the whole street in front of the house was closed to traffic.
It became even dangerous to just be near the old asylum.
This asylum is a magical place that attracts urban explorers from the whole world.
This site allows a clear view at the past.
And especially at one of the most sinister chapters of the recent Italian history.
Only in rare cases beauty and terror are as closely linked together as they are here.
The impressive architecture and the amazing left-over items from the past
are in stark contrast to the horror the involuntarily committed patients were facing here every day.
Today the future of this historical site is unknown.
But bit by bit the psychiatry is falling apart.
Once this was a massive compound.
But today only small part of it is left.
Unfortunately, there is simply no money left to rescue the old asylum.
And so, one of the most fascinating abandoned places in the whole world will fade away in the end.
And that is a real shame in our opinion.
In 2019 we will continue our journey through Italy.
During our road trip this summer we were exploring much more fascinating abandoned sites.
By now we only showed you the first half of our adventure.
Stay tuned to experience more old manors, former asylums and derelict churches,
as well as many other interesting places filled with the most beautiful natural decay we have seen so far.
This was the mid-season finale of our Italy series.
The next episode of this urbex adventure will be published in January 2019.
Until then we have a lot of other thrilling explorations we want to share with you.
If you like our videos don’t forget to leave a like and to subscribe to the channel.
Keep exploring, guys!