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An Island That Nobody Wants Is Just Miles From The Canals of Venice
A dark history led to a bleak present
The old adage says that real estate is all about location, location, location. And that is true in many cases but not all. One example is the island of Poveglia in the waters outside of Venice, Italy. The island is in a prime location. From its shores, you can see beautiful views, passing boats, and multimillion-dollar homes. Yet, this island is abandoned. The island is so undesirable that people cannot even give the island away. The Italian government has offered massive incentives for developers to reclaim the island, and no one will bite. In the past, the city attempted to give the island to the church, to monks, and to traders with little avail.
Why does no one want this island? In almost any other case, an island like this in the Venice Lagoon near the bustling heart of regional commerce would be snapped up in an instant. For the past 700 years, the island has had a turbulent history, and that history has colored the island’s present and future.
Poveglia is known as Plague Island to locals and so-called dark tourists. It was used as a place to quarantine plague victims and examine people coming into Venice. The grounds are littered with victims from the past and a thick sense of foreboding.
