Lazaretto
Lazaretto is a small islet off the Old Port of Corfu covered with green vegetation and containing remnants of old structures and walls. Its layout includes hospital pavilions, a leprosarium building, a 16th-century monastery, and quarantine facilities, all still visible in their basic forms.
The islet was founded as a monastery in the 16th century and later converted into a quarantine station in the 17th century to inspect incoming ships. During Greece's civil war in the 20th century, it served as a prison and execution site, leaving deep marks on its history.
The name Lazaretto comes from the Italian word for quarantine station, reflecting the island's connection to maritime trade and health protection. Today, the site reveals how people historically gathered to care for the sick and vulnerable, making it a place where compassion and community response are visible in the ruins.
The site is easily reached on foot from the Old Port and requires no special equipment to explore. Comfortable shoes are sufficient to walk the narrow paths and view the old structures at your own pace.
On the islet stand the remains of an execution wall and small graves of civil war victims, a rarely highlighted aspect of its darker modern history. These quiet spots are often overlooked by visitors but powerfully shape the sense of the place.
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