Secluded from the community of Limbiate, near Milan, the Mombello Psychiatric Hospital, formally known as the Giuseppe Antonini of Limbiate Psychiatric Hospital, has a storied past that includes hosting Napoleon Bonaparte, pioneering electroconvulsive therapy, and housing the disowned son of Benito Mussolini.
The estate, initially constructed as Villa Pusterla, changed ownership multiple times in the 17th and 18th centuries. It earned the moniker Villa Napoleone when Napoleon Bonaparte took up residence during his Italian campaigns in the French Revolutionary Wars. After falling into disuse, the property was purchased by the municipality of Milan, leading to the opening of the Ospedale Psichiatrico Giuseppe Antonini in 1879 as the city’s provincial psychiatric hospital.
In 1918, the expansive 40,000-square-meter facility was home to over 3,000 patients and staff, ranking it among Italy’s largest psychiatric hospitals. It was here that Italian neurologist Ugo Cerletti conducted early experiments with electroshock therapy, which would evolve into modern electroconvulsive therapy. Cerletti’s work on patients with schizophrenia and depression significantly advanced psychiatric treatment.
The hospital also became the final refuge for Benito Albino Bernardi, the illegitimate son of Benito Mussolini. After a failed escape in the 1940s, Bernardi died under mysterious conditions, a fate still surrounded by speculation. His relation to Mussolini remained a secret for many years.
The introduction of the Italian Mental Health Act of 1978, or the Basaglia Law, led to the closure of Mombello Psychiatric Hospital, and the site soon fell into neglect. The majority of the original buildings are now in a state of decay, marked by looting and vandalism. The remaining functional buildings house a local high school and a small modern healthcare facility. The future of the complex is uncertain due to ongoing disputes between these entities and the municipality of Milan.
Know Before You Go
Access the site via the turn of Via Monte Grappa. Parking is readily available inside the grounds and in front of the entrance.