Poveglia

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Poveglia is a tiny island located between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy.

It has an unfortunate history and is considered by some to be a hot spot for ghosts. During Roman times it was used to isolate thousands of plague victims and during the three occasions when the black death spread through Europe, the island was effectively used as a plague pit — it was considered an efficient way of keeping the infected people separated from the healthy. It is believed that over 160,000 people died on the island throughout its history.

The island was home to a small community until it was abandoned around 1380, during the War of Chioggia between Venice and Genoa.

In 1922, a psychiatric hospital was built on the island. It is rumoured that many of the patients claimed to see the tormented spirits of the plague victims soon after their arrival. The doctor there investigated this phenomenon by conducting crude lobotomies and medical experiments. He supposedly began seeing the ghosts himself and jumped to his death from the hospital steeple. After this, the hospital was abandoned and remains so to this day.

Today, the island is used for farming (primarily vineyards) and is not open to tourists.