Poveglia, Abandoned island in Venice Lagoon, Italy
The island consists of a main section covering approximately 7 hectares (17 acres) with decaying brick buildings, a smaller adjacent landmass connected by a narrow bridge, and a separate octagonal fort structure from the 14th century at the southern tip.
Venetians settled during the 6th century amid barbarian invasions and developed fishing and salt harvesting until the 1348 plague outbreak prompted conversion into a quarantine station, followed by military use under Napoleon.
The former plague hospital served as Venice's quarantine station from 1793 onward and converted into a psychiatric facility in 1922, operating until 1968 before abandonment left the buildings in decay.
The island remains officially closed to visitors and requires special authorization from Venice Municipality, while access depends on private boats as no public transport serves the location 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of Venice.
The old bell tower functions today as a lighthouse for navigation while its clockwork remains frozen without hands, and the original bell was melted down for metal during World War I.
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