Poveglia Island
This small island in the Venetian lagoon served as a plague quarantine station where over 100,000 people died, then as a mental asylum where a mad doctor experimented on patients. Now abandoned, Poveglia is considered so haunted that Italy refuses to allow visitors.
Between Venice and Lido sits a small island that Italians call the most haunted place in their country. Poveglia Island has served as a refuge, a quarantine station where over 100,000 plague victims died, and a mental asylum where horrors occurred. Now abandoned, overgrown, and strictly off-limits, it remains a monument to centuries of suffering.
The Plague Years
Poveglia’s dark history began during the Black Death. In 1348, as plague swept through Europe killing a third of the population, Venice used Poveglia as a quarantine station. Ships suspected of carrying plague were forced to anchor offshore, and their infected passengers were deposited on the island.
The island became a place of death. Those sent to Poveglia rarely returned. Bodies piled up faster than they could be buried or burned. Mass graves consumed most of the small island. According to local legend, the soil of Poveglia is 50% human remains - a figure that, while exaggerated, reflects the scale of death.
Plague returned to Venice repeatedly over the following centuries, and each time Poveglia received the dying. During the plague of 1576, which killed 50,000 Venetians, and again in 1630, when another 46,000 died, the island served its grim purpose.
The Asylum
In 1922, the existing buildings on Poveglia were converted into a mental asylum. What happened there over the following decades has become the stuff of legend.
According to local accounts, a doctor at the asylum conducted cruel experiments on patients, performing lobotomies and other procedures. Whether driven mad by the island’s atmosphere or simply a sadist who found the perfect venue, this doctor allegedly tortured patients for years.
The story ends with the doctor throwing himself from the asylum’s bell tower. Some accounts say patients pushed him; others say the ghosts of the island’s plague victims drove him to suicide. A nurse reportedly witnessed his fall and claimed that while the fall didn’t kill him immediately, a mist rose from the ground and “choked him to death.”
The asylum closed in 1968, and Poveglia has been abandoned ever since.
The Haunting
Those who have visited Poveglia - illegally, since the Italian government forbids access - report overwhelming experiences:
The Plague Victims: Spirits of those who died during the plague years are said to roam the island, their agonized faces appearing in windows and among the vegetation.
The Bell Tower: The asylum’s bell tower is said to ring at night, though the bell was removed decades ago.
The Asylum: Screams and moans are heard from within the crumbling asylum building. Shadow figures move past the broken windows.
Physical Effects: Visitors report nausea, disorientation, and an overwhelming urge to leave the island immediately. Some claim to have been physically pushed or scratched by invisible forces.
EVP: Electronic voice phenomena recorded on Poveglia include screams, pleas for help in Italian, and what sounds like a doctor giving instructions.
The Ban
In 2014, the Italian government attempted to auction a 99-year lease on Poveglia, hoping a developer would transform it into a hotel or resort. The auction generated worldwide attention but failed to attract serious bidders. The island’s reputation appears to have deterred investment.
Local fishermen avoid the waters around Poveglia. Venetians speak of the island in hushed tones. The prohibition on visiting is strictly enforced, with significant fines for trespassers.
Whether the hauntings are real or simply the product of the island’s horrific history, Poveglia remains forbidden - a small piece of land holding centuries of death that Italy would prefer to forget.