San Lazzaro Asylum in Reggio Emilia: the origins of San Lazzaro date back to the second half of the 12th century; the hospital began as a leper colony and was located in a place known as “alla braida del vescovo,” between Porta Castello and Porta S. Pietro. In 1217, it was moved along the Via Emilia to San Maurizio to accommodate pilgrims, many of them lepers, returning from the Holy Land. Over the years, it welcomed an ever-increasing number of poor and disabled people of all kinds, and the hospital lost its original purpose as a leper colony and became a shelter for the sick and beggars. The presence of the first madman was reported in 1536, but it was not until 1754 that Francis III designated San Lazzaro exclusively for the mentally ill.
