Italy's Most Haunted Island: Poveglia Island of Horror

Poveglia is a small island floating in the lagoons of Venice. In stark contrast to

the beauty of its surroundings, the island is a festering blemish. The waves
reluctantly lapping its darkened shores will often carry away the polished remains
of human bones.

When the first outbreak of bubonic plague swept through Europe, the number of dead
and dying in the city of Venice became unbearable. The bodies were piling up, the
stench was oppressive, and something had to be done. The local authorities decided
to use Poveglia as a dumping ground for the diseased bodies. The dead were hauled
to the island and dumped in large pits or burned on huge bonfires. As the plague
tightened its grip, people panicked, and those showing the slightest symptoms of
the Black Death were dragged screaming from their homes. These living victims,
including children and babies, were taken to the island and thrown into the pits
of rotting corpses, where they were left to die in agony. As many as 160,00
tormented bodies were disposed of over the years.

The soil on the island, combined with the charred remains of some of the bodies,
formed a layer of sticky ash on the land. The top layer of ash has dried in the
sun to form a fine dust that swirls in the breeze and catches in lungs. Part of
the island core consists of a layer of human remains. Fishermen avoid this area,
as the chances of catching a body part or two are high.

In 1922, a psychiatric hospital was built. It was an imposing building with a

magnificent bell tower. The patients immediately reported seeing the ghosts of
rotting plague victims and of hearing whispers echoing off the walls. Their
harrowing reports were dismissed; they were already deemed demented and mad.

The hospital was run by a doctor who was a little too ambitious. He decided to
make a name for himself by experimenting on his patients in a bid to discover the
cause of their insanity. His methods were crude, to say the least. Lobotomies were
performed using a basic hand drill or just a hammer and chisel. The already
deluded patients were taken to the observation tower, where they were subjected to
the most hideous of tortures.

After years of performing these horrible acts, the doctor himself began seeing the
ghosts of harrowed plague victims. It is said they led him to the bell tower,
where he threw himself off. Miraculously he did not die immediately, but according
to a nurse, as he lay writhing in agony, a fine mist swirled up around him,
entered his body, and choked him to death. It is rumored that he is bricked up in
the bell tower, and on a still night the bell can be heard tolling across the bay.

The hospital has since closed down, and the island is uninhabited. It is not open
to tourist, and its ashy beaches remain deserted. Recently a family sought
permission to visit the island, hoping to buy it cheaply and build a vacation
home. The left before the night was over and have refused to comment on the reason
for their abrupt departure, The only fact known is that their daughter�s face was
ripped open by �something� and needed twenty stitches.

A few people have dodged the light police patrol that guards the island, and all
have sworn never to return. They say the moans and screams that reverberate around
the island are unbearable. There is a feeling of the most intense evil, and one
misguided thrill-seeker, upon entering the deserted hospital, was told, �Leave
immediately and do not return.�