Ospedale Psichiatrico Di Q: Italy June 2015

This stunning abandoned asylum in a coastal Italian city was built at the end of the 19th century. Originally designed to house 700 patients however when times were hard this increased to over 1500 at times. A number of pavilions were built here and one of them is still in use to this day.

This amazing location was my main personal goal of the trip, for a while it seemed like we was not going to find a way in. Luckily we did and it was the perfect end to a brilliant day.

Don't be fooled by the stunning architecture and beautiful light, this was not a happy place to be. In 1978 law 180 was introduced which sanctioned the closure of these large asylums as the care was not deemed appropriate for modern times. When the hospital closed in the late 1990's a former employee described the closure as one of the better moments in the history of mental health.