Everything to Know About Poveglia Island, the Most Haunted Place in the World

For those of us interested in the paranormal, we are usually inundated with locations such as abandoned hospitals, homes, asylums, and even castles—buildings made of brick, wood, and even stone that house creepy tales of wandering spirits, but what if there was a place so haunted it encapsulates an entire island?

A Brief History of Poveglia Island

Poveglia Island dates back as far as the year 421 AD, and can be found off the Southwest end of Lido Di Venezia; it is made from three separate Islands, one of which is purely vegetation, whilst the other two resemble Venice by the construction of wooden pillars.

The smallest of the islands is an octagon shape and was used as a small fort to protect the island, and as a stop off before reaching Venice. Today, the Island is completely abandoned, with the largest of the islands housing a few derelict buildings.

During the 9th century, Poveglia Island served as a home for many Padua and Este refugees. But in 1379 when Venice, and consequently Poveglia, came under attack by Genoa during the Chioggia War, the inhabitants were forced to flee to a different island, Giudecca—leading to the abandonment of Poveglia Island.

In 1776, the Island came under the jurisdiction of the local ‘Public Health Office’ turning the island into a form of ‘custom control’ area, and in 1793 two ships that had stopped for checks at the Island were found to be contaminated with the bubonic plague.

And this is when the Island became a smorgasbord board of dark, frightening tales…

the remains of plague victims found on poveglia island — Plague victims.
Photo Credit: ermakvagus.com

The two ships that landed at the island, contaminated with the black death, sealed the island's fate - it was then used as a dumping ground for those infected, dead and dying.

Those who succumbed to the plague in Venice were transported to Poveglia, because leaving dead bodies riddled with the disease would have had catastrophic effects on Venice, with it being an island itself.

The bodies were loaded onto a ship and taken over to Poveglia Island, along with those already infected. They then were dumped into large, deep pits known as ‘Death Pits’, and when these became full they were set alight or covered over with dirt.

The amount of the dead said to have been buried or burned on the island varies from different sources, but it is believed to be around 100,000 to 160,000. Due to this, it is claimed that 50% of the island's soil is human ash and that the island still smells of burnt human remains.

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an abandoned hospital corridor on poveglia island — Abandoned hospital on Poveglia Island.
Photo Credit: wirestock via Freepik

In the 20th century, once the plague had subsided, the buildings on the Island were transformed into a psychiatric hospital base.

There are reports of a doctor who, due to the derelict nature of the island and the buildings, was able to treat his patients however he saw fit, which led to more suffering and unwarranted torture bestowed upon the patients.

One doctor in particular was fond of the idea of lobotomies and believed they could ‘cure’ mental illness; it is said that he performed this violent procedure on several unwilling patients.

The doctor is also said to have reserved the bell tower for his ‘favorite’ patients, but it is still not entirely sure what suffering he may have caused those ‘lucky’ enough to be considered his favorites.

hospital beds in abandoned hospital on poveglia island — Abandoned hospital room on Poveglia Island.
Photo Credit: wirestock via Freepik

The legend says that the doctor succumbed to his own madness and jumped from the bell tower to his death in the 1930s, although some sources state that he was thrown from the bell tower by his patients.

There is even a rumor that the fall didn’t kill the doctor, but a mysterious fog that emanated from the ground choked him to death before receding back into the earth.

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close-up photo of person's hands climbing out of water — Photo Credit: Unsplash

The history of Poveglia Island is incredibly dark, riddled with hundreds and thousands of people who lost their lives either from a horrendous disease or at the hands of psychotic doctors, so it isn’t that surprising that the Island is claimed to be very haunted.

Fishermen still refuse to go to the Island to this day; due to corrosion of the earth over time, graves or pits became uncovered and bones were often caught in their fishing nets.

They also claim to hear the screams of the asylum patients, along with the ringing of the bell from the bell tower, however, the bell has long since been removed. It is said that the doctor may have jumped from the bell tower after going insane, due to the torment bestowed on him by the spirits of the plague victims.

There is also a little girl ghost called ‘Little Maria’ who is thought to be a plague victim and has been seen and heard wailing as she roams the derelict beach.

Those who visit the Island often claim to feel as though they are being followed, and can even become overwhelmed with emotion upon arrival, feeling heavy with dread and sorrow.

The entrance to the hospital brings with it its own horror story as to enter the hospital, you need to crawl through one of the cremation machines.

Sometimes people see shadows streakinng across the walls and a young female spirit has been seen—she is apparently terrified of the doctor that used to perform sickening experiments on his patients.

The island today remains abandoned and is owned by the state, meaning you need special permission to venture to the island—permission is usually given if the reason to visit is based on research, photography projects, or filming.

Most of the structures that once stood have now completely crumbled, leaving any remaining structures unsafe to explore, yet, it doesn’t stop thrill seekers and those drawn to the supernatural from visiting.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to believe that Poveglia Island has become the island of many spirits, due to the amount of suffering and death that has happened on its soil. A place that has been home to such dark times has surely left a mark on the island that is picked up on by those who visit.

close-up photo of headstone on poveglia island — A headstone on Poveglia Island.
Photo Credit: Venice Street Photography

To commemorate the lives lost on the island, a half-buried stone can be found hidden, strangled by the growing vegetation which reads “Ne Fodias”. This translates to ‘do not dig’ or ‘do not disturb’, while the inscription declares “The dead rest here from contagian, 1973”.