Museo della Follia

The San Servolo hospital has been partly opened as the Museo della Follia (Museum of Madness). Two intriguing rooms are full of paraphernalia and explanations of the days when being sent to San Servolo was hardly a guaranteed cure. In the first room is a series of before/after photos of 19th-century inmates, many of whose chief malady was extreme poverty, with hallucinations and non-specific symptoms resulting from bad nutrition and vitamin deficiency. In the main room are instruments used for electro-shock therapy, while in an annexe are other ‘therapeutic’ instruments, including chains and straitjackets. Of particular interest is the ancient pharmacy, where for centuries many of Venice’s medicines were concocted – including various possible cures for syphilis, a common cause of mental health problems in Venice even after the discovery of penicillin as a cure. Since most penicillin in Italy was set aside for the military well into the 20th century, it remained the most-sought-after street drug sold behind Zanipolo. The guided tour of the island, which must be booked in advance, also takes in the park and modest church. To get there, take vaporetto 20 from San Zaccaria; the hotel on Isola di San Clemente operates a shuttle service.