Haunted Poveglia History - Poveglia Location

Poveglia

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

It has an unfortunate history and is considered by some to be a raging blot for ghosts. During Roman times them was wont to isolate thousands of plague victims, and during the three functions once the black plague bedcover through Europe, the Poveglia Island was efficaciously used as a lazaret. It was believed an effective way of restraining the contaminated citizenry separated from the healthy.

When the first off eruption by bubonic plague breezed through Europe, the amount of dead and dying in the city of Venice became unendurable. The bodies were accumulating, the stench was oppressive, and something had to be done.

As it become worse, the local authorities decided to use Poveglia as a dumping ground for the diseased bodies.

The dead were hauled to the Poveglia Island and dumped in large pits or burned on huge bonfires. As the plague tightened its grip, people panicked, and those showing the slightest symptoms of the Black Death were dragged screaming from their homes.

These living victims, including children and babies, were taken to the Poveglia Island and thrown away into the pits of rotting corpses, where they were left to die in agony. As many as 160,00 crucified bodies were disposed of over the years.

Small Island floating in the lagoons of Venice

The soil on the Poveglia Island, combined with the charred remains of some of the bodies, formed a layer of sticky ash on the land. The top layer of ash has dried in the sun to form a fine dust that swirls in the air and enchants in lungs. Part of the island core consists of a level from human stays. Fishermen avoid this area, as the chances of catching a body part or two are high.

Poveglia