The Most Haunted Island in the World

Poveglia has had a VERY tumultuous history. Its first residents arrived in 421 AD after trying to escape the barbaric invasions of Venice and around the 9th century, the tiny island became densely populated and grew in importance. It later became the turf on which many wars were fought against the barbarians and while most were won, Poveglia's residents had to be permanently displaced in 1379 by the Venician government so it could fortify and use the island to counter the attacks of the Genoans. When the bubonic plague hit Venice in 1348, Lazzarettos (quarantine centers) were established on many small islands including Poveglia to try to contain the pandemic. The Black Death revisited Venice in 1462, 1485, 1506, 1575-1577, and 1629-1631. The 1629-1631 outbreak ended up being the deadliest with an estimated 80,000 deaths in just seventeen months. The islands surrounding Venice were becoming dump sites where victims were thrown into grave pits. Those who simply displayed symptoms didn't