Venice islands: Poveglia

Poveglia is a little island located in the South Lagoon, between Venice and the Lido.

In 421 Poveglia was designated as a safe haven for people fleeing from the barbaric invaders. Since then it has had a varied and sometimes strange fate, as when the families of two hundred followers of Doge Pietro Tradonico (864) transferred there after he was slain in a conspiracy by the nobles, and they were at loggerheads with the new doge. They formed a close-knit and tenacious community that led the island to prosperity and almost independence; a community that survived both the deportations carried out by the Republic and the sharp decline of the island - abandoned at the time of the War of Chioggia between Venice and Genoa (1378).

Lost its importance like city center and coming under the jurisdiction of the Magistrate for Sanitation in the final years of the Republic of Venice (1777), Poveglia became a port storage area, quarantine station for suspected ships or people, and finally a lazaretto, a contagious plague disease hospital.

In the 20th century, until 1968 it was a rest home for the elderly. Since then it has lain abandoned and is used for farming.

Nowadays, the island of Poveglia is distinguished by its low hump and tall tower (the spire bell tower of San Vitale) that was once part of Venice's defence system.

Poveglia is not visitable.

 

Curiosity:
Poveglia is also known for his spirits.
During the Black plague of the mid 1300's, Hundreds of black death victims, including maybe live infected people, were thrown on the island in massive pits.
In the late 1800's the island was turned into a lunatic asylum were a Dr. later committed suicide, after butchering if not mutilating hundreds of victims.
The rumors are then even today, fishermen don't venture near the island to fish.
Totally abandoned, except for farming grapes... during the day.

 

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