Sitting just off the coast of Northern Italy, in the Venetian Lagoon between Venice and Lido, the island of Poveglia has earned a most sinister reputation over the centuries.

Early History

Mentioned in documents dating back to as early as 421 AD, Poveglia welcomed its first inhabitants when a group of men, women and children sought refuge from barbaric invaders ravaging the mainland. Thereafter, this small community lived in peace and in the 9th century, its population began to grow.

This, however, was not long before Venice came under attack again in 1379 and the islanders were forced to leave their home. For the subsequent years, this 18-acre plot of land remained deserted. 

In 1776, it became a checkpoint for ships entering and leaving Venice.

The Deadly Plague

The dark history of Poveglia begins in 1793 when several plague cases were discovered on two of the docked ships and the island had to be turned into a temporary quarantine station. This role turned permanent from 1805 to 1814 when the disease spread throughout the mainland.

Anyone infected was sent into exile on Poveglia. Even people showing the slightest signs of the plague were forcefully taken away from their homes and left on the island to rot. The deceased and the ill who were too weak to protest were buried or burnt atop giant pyres in the island's center.

Due to the colossal number of people who were dying here in agony, the small island of Poveglia rapidly established a haunted reputation among the Venetians and came to be known as the "Island of Ghosts". 

But the story gets worse.

Psychiatric Hospital

In 1922, the islet was turned into an asylum for the mentally ill. The patients soon started reporting sightings of the plague victims' ghosts. They claimed hearing screams of the suffering spirits at night but their complaints were mostly ignored, for they were already considered mad by the hospital staff.

Sinister Doctor

Shortly after the asylum opened, rumors started floating to the mainland about a doctor who was conducting unauthorized experiments on patients. He allegedly performed heinous lobotomies using crude tools, ranging from chisels and hammers to drills, without anesthesia. But, he reserved his darkest experiments for 'special patients'. Apparently, he would take them to the island's bell tower and torture them so recklessly that their screams and wails echoed through the entire land.

Local legend has it that after years of executing these immoral acts, the evil doctor began to see the spirits of the dead himself. This drove him insane to the point that one day, he screamed his way to the top of the bell tower and fell to his death below. Whether he jumped or was pushed by angry spirits, is controversial. A nurse who happened to witness the whole ordeal, claims that the fall didn't actually kill him. She said:

"As he lay on the ground writhing in pain, a mist came up out of the ground and choked him to death".

Abandonment

The asylum continued to operate until 1968 and was briefly converted into a geriatric facility before being shut down in 1975. Ever since, the infamous island of Poveglia has seen no long-term habitation.

Failed Attempts at Rehabilitation

At some point, Italian construction crews attempted to restore the sight but the work "abruptly stopped without explanation". The locals were left to speculate that they were driven away by the island's dark forces.

Thereafter, the government made several attempts to sell the island, but to no avail. All of the negotiated deals fell through until a family bought it, intending to build a private holiday home there. They settled in for the first day, knowing little of the horror they were in for. That very night, they were driven off the island by an "angry resident entity" and never returned. While they refused to comment on the horrid incidence, their daughter's face is reported to have been ripped open by an unseen force, requiring her to get 14 stitches.

Appalling Visits

Several psychics and paranormal experts have been brought to the abandoned mental hospital since, but none of them has left with a will to ever return. They tell of the lingering presence of an energy that can only be described as malignant.

No Trespassing

Today, the infamous island of Poveglia remains strictly off-limits to tourists and holds the dubious distinction of being listed as one of the world's most illegal places to visit. Nonetheless, this has not kept curious thrill-seekers from visiting the island illicitly.

Everyone who has made it to the cursed land, by dodging police patrols, has refused to go back. They say that it has a heavy atmosphere of evil and the tortured moans that permeate the island make staying there unbearable. They describe experiencing the sensation of being watched. Others claim being scratched and pushed by invisible forces. Some entities have even been reported to chase visitors down corridors.

Amid the numerous trespassing reports is the story of a group of friends who fled the island in trepidation. They reported a heavy sense of dread descend around them upon arrival, followed by a deep voice that warned:

"Leave immediately and do not return".

The visitors complied right away.

Local Terror Prevails

The people of Venice describe Poveglia as the most haunted place on earth and dare not step foot on it worrying that they might get cursed.

Local fisherman steer clear of the island's shallows for fear of picking up human bones in their nets, which continue to wash upon the shores to this day.

In 2014, a photographer named Mike Deere, along with his team, paid a local fishing captain to take him to Poveglia. When they reached the island, the captain refused to step on the land and instead of waiting, promised to return a few hours later to pick them up.

Mike said:

"The locals are very hesitant, almost surprised, when you mention Poveglia to them - it took several days to track down someone who would be willing to take us to there, and not for a cheap price."

To give the Venetians yet another reason to stay as possibly far away from the notorious island, the mad doctor's spirit still haunts the bell tower. As local claims go, on a quiet night he can still be heard ringing the bell, despite its removal decades ago.

 

The petrifying legacy of Poveglia Island lingers, convincing the Venetians to view it as a purgatory for evil souls.

 One local saying goes: 

"When an evil man dies, he wakes up in Poveglia."