The “super-prison” known as le Costarelle lies in the mountains of central Italy, eleven miles from the city of L’Aquila. It is vast and grey and rises from manicured lawns against a stark wooded rockface. It holds around 160 inmates. Most languish in near total isolation, with visits restricted, letters censored, their televisual diet reduced to a meagre handful of national channels to prevent coded messages from the outside.
Last week, the penitentiary welcomed its newest resident: the 60-year-old mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, formerly one of the most wanted criminals in the world.
