Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2083232/open_sms] This week's episode covers a particularly turbulent time in Italian history: from WWI to WWII and the birth of the Republic. Find out how Volterra Lunatic Asylum fared during wartime and why it began to help feed the surrounding city of Volterra. Learn why the hospital superintendent was forced to retire after 34 years on the job. Discover how Fascism infiltrated every aspect of daily life. My main sources for this episode are the Manicomio di Volterra website and several Britannica articles on WWI, WWII, and the rise of Facism. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083232/support]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2083232/open_sms] In this week's episode, we head to Tuscany, Italy, to the hilltop town of Volterra. Learn about the early history of the Volterra Lunatic Asylum, the political climate of Italy at the time, and the controversial treatments of the first asylum director, Dr. Luigi Scabia. Finally, hear the stories of two artists who were sent to Volterra later in their lives. The main source for this episode is the Manicomio di Volterra website. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram at @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083232/support]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2083232/open_sms] This week's episode is perfectly-timed for Halloween! Learn about Rolling Hills Asylum as a haunted attraction and what draws people to the site. Find out about the staff and patients who lived at the poor farm and whose spirits are said to roam the halls still. Discover what is so creepy about the "Christmas Room" and what happens to visitors when they lie down on the autopsy slab in the morgue. Listen, if you dare, and find out how YOU can visit Rolling Hills Asylum! All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083232/support]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2083232/open_sms] This week we discuss the history of Rolling Hills Asylum, which was known as the Genesee County Poor Farm while it was in operation. Learn about the historical context that shows why poorhouses started in New York. Find out about the doctor that exposed the horrific conditions that poor and mentally ill folks were living in. Finally, discover when and why the Genesee County Farm became known as Rolling Hills Asylum. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Check out the Beacons page: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083232/support]

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2083232/open_sms] This week's episode tells the stories of six survivors of Ireland's Magdalen laundries and orphanages. Learn what their typical work day was like, what punishments they experienced, and what the long-term consequences were of incarceration at the laundries. My main sources for this episode include the 1998 documentary Sex in a Cold Climate and a 2013 BBC article entitled, "Magdalene Laundries: Survivor Stories." All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you are listening! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083232/support]