Tomaso Garzoni is an Italian writer of the late 16th century, whom few people know; even in Italian textbooks on the history of literature he is mentioned in one line as an author between mannerism and baroque. His book The Hospital of the Incurably Lunatic, published in 1586, is a cross between Erasmus's Praise of Folly and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy: more baroque than the former and less learned than the latter. Garzoni undertakes to describe all types of insanity, and understands it very broadly: there is insanity in a completely medical sense, and sections like “Lazy and careless madmen”, “Rustic and narrow-minded lunatics”, “Insane wine drinkers”, “Insane with love” and etc.; It is unlikely that the reader will not recognize himself in at least one of the types. Garzoni begins each chapter with venerable ancient examples, but quickly moves on to the madmen, melancholics and simpletons of his native Italy: this is an enchanting scattering of anecdotes, colorful and sometimes very funny. For specialists and a wide readership. The publication was prepared by medievalist Roman Lvovich Shmarakov, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Philology of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (St. Petersburg campus).