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.
Location: Province of Venice
GPS coordinates: 45.38222,12.33056
Latest update: December 1, 2025 09:44
This collection presents locations around the world associated with ghost stories and unexplained events. From historic fortresses and former prisons to abandoned hospitals and old cemeteries, these sites have developed their own legends. Visitors can explore the Tower of London in England, where reports of ghostly sightings have been documented for centuries, or tour the Catacombs of Paris, an underground network holding the remains of millions. In Asia, Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mount Fuji draws visitors interested in its dense vegetation and troubling history, while Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan stands as one of India's most notorious locations. The collection also features places like Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, a former prison with a dark past, Waverly Hills Hospital in Kentucky, which once treated tuberculosis patients, and Sleepy Hollow in New York, made famous by Washington Irving's tale. In Europe, Dragsholm Castle in Denmark, Leap Castle in Ireland, and Château de Châteaubriant in France offer insights into medieval history and the stories that have grown around them. Each location combines architectural or natural features with the narratives that have developed over time.
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Ottagono Poveglia
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San Marco in Boccalama
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Monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni
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Ottagono Alberoni
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Ottagono Abbandonato
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Villa Herriot
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Church of San Clemente
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Sant'Antonio
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Armenian Monastery Mechitarist
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Villa dei Padri Armeni
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Circolo Golf Venezia
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Villa Predelli
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Alberoni Beach
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Spiaggia Sorriso
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Art Gallery and Museum of the Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni
4.1 km
Ponte dei Scorzeri
4.7 km
Ponte dei Bolzeri
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Litorale di Lido
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Private bridge of the Garden of Eden, Venice
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Lido di Venezia: biotopi litoranei
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Ponte Sant'Angelo
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Mkhitar Sebastatsi
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Ponte de le Scuole
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Batteria intermedia Terreperse
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Cloister of Monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni
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Palma delle Canarie
4.6 kmReviews
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