Agrippa ex prison branch on the island of Pianosa

Il Agrippa prison was both one of the most famous as well as unfortunately one of the best known Italian prisons, used as a penal colony in 1858. In 1872 the island was divided into various agricultural centres, so called small farms, and the prisoners were all put into small comunities. Around 1880 there were approximately 980 prisoners, but from 1884 the penal colony of Pianosa also included those prisoners who had been hit by tubercolosis, where they remained until 1965, and were then divided into three different buildings: The Prevention Unit, the Curing Unit (ex Cardon farm, now Agrippa) and the Healing Unit (Marchese farm).

From 1931 to 1935 the ex Italian President of the Republic Sandro Pertini was also imprisoned there due to his political beliefs.

In 1968 Pianosa became a maximum security prison and the so Red Brigade prisoners, Camorra bosses as well as Mafia bosses were imprisoned there under the 41bis regime. After the terrorist killings of Falcone and Borsellino the island was then fortified so nobody was allowed access, and it was watched on day and night. In 1997 the last Mafia prisoner was transferred to the mainland

The prison was closed for good in 2011.

Since then the building has been given a new lease of life while the prison has been left untouched and you can still see how it was originally. The public now have access even to the outside area, known as the "scenic area"