A public mental health model in Italy earns global praise. Now it faces its demise
TRIESTE, Italy — An old mental hospital sits in Trieste's San Giovanni Park alongside a large rose garden that stretches up a hill over the city. The facility closed over 40 years ago, but its ocher pavilions are filled with activity.
In one building, Radio Fragola (Strawberry Radio) broadcasts news and public services information. Next door is Il Posto delle Fragole (Strawberry Patch), a café and meeting point. (Their names are a nod to Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries film.) Down the hall, workers are busy sewing ties, bags and clothing.
Helping staff these operations, as well as cafés, museums, libraries and other workplaces throughout the city, are people with mental illnesses who belong to a social cooperative called La Collina (the Hill).
