Poveglia Island

Located less than half a mile from Venice, Poveglia Island has a creepy past. It was built by the Venetian government to be used as a dumping ground for plague victims. It is considered one of the most haunted islands in the world.

The tiny island is said to have hosted over 160,000 infected souls living out their final days and hours there—so many that there are whispers that 50 percent of the soil consists of human remains. Because of this, so many of the island’s buildings are actually built on burial grounds.

 Back in the day when graves were dug up to add more bodies to them, they would often find bodies that were bloated and had a mouth full of blood. Their immediate conclusion was that the body was a vampire and was feasting on the blood of the dead. So, a stone or a brick would be placed in their mouth to stop them from eating. Of course, modern forensics has found that a build up of gases is the cause for the bloated body and the blood seeping mouth. 

The island also housed a asylum at one point in the 1920s. Rumors are that the doctor at the asylum conducted inhumane experiments on his patients. Along with plague deaths and medical related deaths, there are also many suicide related deaths.

The island was auctioned for lease by the Italian government in 2014, and an Italian businessman by the name of Luigi Brugnaro now has a 99 yr lease of the island. He intends to restore the island and make is available for public use.