Italy. Province of Lazio. Rome. Santa Maria della Pieta is an asylum for mentally handicapped people. A bare feet woman lays on wooden bricks while another woman carries in her hand a blue plastic bag. A third person is sitting on a white plastic chair. Mental hospital. Lunatic asylum. Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Santa Maria della Pieta is specialised in the temporary or permanent care of residents who, as a result of a psychological disorder, require routine assistance, treatment, or a specialised and controlled environment. Patients are often admitted on a voluntary basis, but involuntary commitment is practiced when an individual may pose a significant danger to themselves or others. 10.07.97 © 1997 Didier Ruef