Shutter Island. Poveglia Island - an abandoned shelter for plague victims Will Poveglia Island ever be reborn?

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If you are attracted mysterious places, unusual buildings and ancient legends, then the list compiled website, you will probably find it interesting. Even if you do not encounter paranormal phenomena, you are still guaranteed a lot of impressions and great photographs.

Island of the Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas), Mexico

According to legend, a little girl drowned in a canal near the island, whose spirit never found peace. At least that's what Julian Santana Barrera thought. The man found the doll not far from the place where the girl died, and since then began collecting this eerie collection in order to appease the spirit of the dead child. This continued for 50 years, until Julian’s death. Despite the superstitions surrounding the Island of Dolls, tourists willingly visit it.

Sacred Forest (Sacro Bosco), Italy

The park ensemble “Sacred Forest” was built in 1548–1580 in the town of Bomarzo. The customer of the gloomy park was Duke Pier Francesco Orsini. The Sacred Forest contains 30 sculptures, such as Hercules, Aphrodite, the dog Cerberus, the sirens, as well as the falling house and the Gates of the Underworld. After several centuries of neglect, the park was restored and re-opened to visitors in 1954, at which time it received another name - “Garden of Monsters”.

Ghost town of Centralia, USA

In 1962, an incident occurred that turned this town into a kind of Silent Hill (by the way, some scenes of the film of the same name were filmed there). Firefighters burned garbage at a landfill, which was located in an abandoned coal mine pit. The flames spread to the coal seams, starting an underground fire that continues to this day. But even this does not stop lovers extreme tourism, photographers and journalists.

Hill of Crosses (Kryžių kalnas), Lithuania

Aokigahara Forest, Japan

"Aokigahara" translates to "Plain of Blue Trees", but this place is also known as the "Suicide Forest". He is not only popular tourist route, but also a favorite place for suicides from Tokyo and its environs. The authorities are doing everything possible to prevent the death of citizens. To achieve this, the forest is regularly patrolled, cameras and signs with helplines are installed along the paths, and local residents Report all suspicious-looking people to the police.

Ghost Town of Kangbashi, China

The lake is located in British Columbia, near the town of Osoyoos. The name translates as “spotted lake,” and the Okanagan Indians call it Kliluk and attribute mystical properties to it. The unusual appearance of the lake is explained by the high concentration of magnesium, silver, calcium and titanium sulfate. But tourists are unlikely to be able to get close to it without the permission of the elder of the local Indians, so they prefer to photograph the lake from a distance.

Gas crater Darweze (Derweze), Turkmenistan

The ossuary in Sedlec, or the Church of All Saints, is a cemetery in the suburbs of the Czech city of Kutna Hora, famous for the fact that the interior of this building is decorated with human bones. The cemetery was not able to accommodate all the dead, so in 1400 a chapel with a tomb was built, which was used to store the remains. Later, in the 19th century, the bones and skulls were cleaned, bleached and used for interior decoration.

Poveglia Island, Italy

Legends say that Poveglia, one of the islands of the Venetian lagoon, was a place where plague patients were exiled to die, and that is why the restless souls of the sick still roam there. In 1922, a psychiatric hospital was opened there, which existed until 1968. There were rumors that experiments were carried out on patients, and the chief doctor went crazy and committed suicide by jumping from the tower. The island was abandoned and remains in that state to this day.

Location: Poveglia Island, 3 km south of Venice.
Area: 7.25 acres
Buildings: 11 buildings
Closed (technically): due to poor condition of buildings

Poveglia Island is a small island located just 5 kilometers south of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon in northern Italy. The island is famous in Italy for its bloody history and many reports of paranormal activity.

Poveglia Island consists of two parts, separated by a canal with a single bridge connecting both halves of the island. This abandoned piece of land is inaccessible to tourists due to the condition of the buildings, but that doesn't mean people don't find ways to get to the island.

In ancient and medieval times, Venetian citizens suffering from the plague were exiled to the island. Here they lived out their lives in quarantine, far from their family and friends.

Most died here.

 The main attraction of the island is the abandoned psychiatric institution, which was opened in 1922 and closed in 1968. Locals have legends that the souls of the dead still roam the island.

Why is Poveglia Island closed to visitors?

The Italian government is currently renovating buildings on the island of Poveglia. The island's shores are also being strengthened to prevent further erosion. We hope that the island will soon be open to tourists.

History of Poveglia Island

The island of Poveglia was originally called Popiglia from the Latin word populus or poplar. A dense forest of these trees once covered the entire island. Another theory says that Poveglia got its name in honor of the Ancient Roman consul Publius Popilio Lenatus (2nd century BC). He became famous for the construction of a major ancient Roman road, known today as Via Popilia.

The island of Poveglia was originally inhabited by fishermen, but in the 5th century AD. its population increased significantly thanks to refugees from the Italian mainland. The barbarian armies advanced deep into the Apennine Peninsula, capturing and plundering everything in their path. Only a lucky few survived, hidden away from the main Roman roads. Refugees settled on numerous islands in the Venetian Lagoon, including Poveglia, the Isles of Venice and many others.

A new wave of settlers came in the 8th century from Padua and Esta, cities that were destroyed by Lombard tribes. In 863, the 13th Doge of Venice, Pietro Tradonico, was forced to hide briefly on the island of Poveglia after civil unrest in the city. He was joined by 200 families of his faithful servants. IN Eventually

The island of Poveglia remained empty until the 15th century. At that time there were only a few warehouses here. In addition, sailors temporarily lived here in quarantine until they were allowed to enter Venice.

In 1777, the island of Poveglia was transferred to the medical institution "Magistrato alla Sanita" (Health Authority). A hospital (Lazzaretto) was built here to quarantine people so they could not bring the plague to the city.

In 1805, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the destruction of the Church of San Vitale as part of his campaign against the clerics and the Catholic Church in general. Its existence is only reminiscent of the former bell tower, which was turned into a lighthouse. Poveglia Island served as a weapons depot for French troops, and so the Austrians repeatedly tried to take Poveglia Island in a series of surprise attacks that were never successful.

The hospital closed in 1814, but the abandoned buildings were converted into a hospital in 1922. They were rebuilt or reconstructed to house mentally ill patients who had to be isolated from the rest of society.

Many of the people who ended up here would not be considered fit for hospitalization by modern psychiatric standards. So people with depression, homosexuals, bipolar disorder, and so on were sent here.

Unfortunately, the isolation and secrecy of the hospital allowed doctors to perform numerous horrific medical procedures on their patients. Patients were beaten, lobotomized, and deprived of food and water. Often people could not stand it and died from such content. All those who were killed or died on the hospital grounds were buried in mass graves. In 1968, the hospital was completely abandoned and abandoned.

Northern part

The islands of Poveglia were used for agricultural purposes and growing vineyards, but then they were abandoned. Ghosts on Poveglia Island Today Poveglia is abandoned, but many locals are sure that the island is not completely empty.

One of the legends claims that the head doctor of a psychiatric hospital at the beginning of the 20th century tortured his patients by conducting inhumane experiments on them. He was particularly interested in patients who claimed to have seen plague victims dating back to the Medieval period. Many of the chief physician’s victims died during his procedures and were buried on the island of Poveglia. Eventually, the doctor himself went crazy and began seeing ghosts and hearing voices himself. He committed suicide by jumping from the former bell tower of the destroyed church. Some eyewitnesses said that he died immediately from the fall. Others, notably one nurse who saw the fall, claimed that he was still alive after hitting the ground. He was ended by a certain mysterious fog that surrounded and suffocated him.

Another place in Poveglia known for its ghosts is the “Plague Field”, so named because of the mass graves of plague victims from three waves of the epidemic. This terrible disease first appeared in 1348 and claimed the lives of many European cities. Another wave of epidemic occurred in 1570, and the last one occurred in 1630. The latest wave of plague killed more than 55,000 residents of Venice.

During all the epidemics, the citizens of Venice tried to save themselves by sending sick and dying people to the island of Poveglia. People were sometimes snatched from their homes at the slightest suspicion of bubonic plague. They were loaded onto ships and transported to the island, where they had to spend 40 days in quarantine. Of course, most of the unfortunate victims never returned. Even if they were healthy before arriving on the island, after 40 days they were already infected and often died.

Many victims were burned in the northern part of the island, and their remains were scattered over the "Plague Field". Many local fishermen avoid the island because they believe the layer of ash from human remains could still carry the plague. Of course this is a myth. It’s just that the shores of the island are being washed away and the bones of victims often end up in nets, but Italians are still quite religious people and treat the dead with respect.

Archaeological excavations were carried out on the field.

Locals also claim that at night you can hear the moans, screams and coughs of restless souls that still roam the island. Others reported the smell of sulfur and burning wood, although police called did not find anyone on the island.

Some visitors claim that not all local ghosts are friendly to intruders. Some people were approved that they were touched, pushed, and even beaten by invisible creatures. At the end of the 20th century, a certain family bought the island and tried to settle here. They spent only one night here. Towards morning they hastily left Poveglia. Their daughter was found bloodied and beaten. Later at the hospital she received 14 stitches. Neither the girl nor her parents could explain who attacked her and why. They just babbled something about whispering spirits and crying women.

One of the most famous attractions in Poveglia is of course its bell tower. It was here that the sadistic doctor died. Even the ladder he tried to climb up remained. However, you should not climb it. Whether there is perfume or not is up to you. But the fact that the handrails are very shaky and have long since rusted leaves no doubt. They break at the slightest pressure on them.

Mass graves of plague victims on the island of Poveglia

These are mass graves of victims of several waves of plague epidemics on the island of Poveglia. This is only a small part of all the bodies that were buried here. Many were burned and their ashes were thrown into similar mass graves on the island of Poveglia.

The summer holiday season is coming very soon, and you haven’t decided where to go yet? Beach holiday seems boring to you, but the photo is in the background Eiffel Tower Don't impress anyone anymore? Then our list will help you tourist places, which cannot be called standard at all: mysterious castles, unusual buildings, frightening legends. One of the places is nearby - in Karelia! Even if you don't encounter ghosts, then interesting impressions are still provided for.
1. Island of Dead Dolls in Mexico

The Island of Dead Dolls is located 18 kilometers from Mexico City. According to one legend, the ghost of a drowned girl lives there; according to another, innocent children were forcibly drowned there. In the 50s, worker Julian Barrera suddenly abandoned his family and became a hermit, moving to this island. A man found a doll on the island near the supposed place of the girl’s death. After this, he began his strange collection to appease the spirit of the dead child. For 50 years, until his death, he collected a variety of dolls and hung them on trees. Now it is a popular tourist spot.

2. Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

A mountain with a telling name is located near the Lithuanian city of Siauliai and looks like an old cemetery. But in fact it is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. According to existing belief, if you leave the cross here, then any of your wishes will come true and good luck will accompany you in all matters. The very first cross was erected by a man whose daughter was terminally ill. Soon after the installation of the crucifix, his daughter recovered, and the place gained fame. Despite the fact that the legend is quite bright, the place looks creepy.

3. Ossuary in Sedlec, Czech Republic

The Church of All Saints is located in the small Czech town of Kutna Hora. The church is located in a cemetery, and is famous for the fact that the interior of the church is decorated with human bones. During the plague, the cemetery could not accommodate all the dead, so a special tomb was built where the remains were kept for a long time. In the 19th century, the family that owned the chapel hired a stone carverFrantisek Rint, who decided to create a non-standard interior for the church. He bleached the bones and used them for interior decoration. Now the place is wildly popular among tourists. By the way, at the checkout you can purchase a copy of the skull as a souvenir.

4. Darvaza Crater, or “Gate of Hell”, Turkmenistan

The crater with the self-explanatory name “Gates of Hell” was formed 46 years ago due to an error during exploration work. Due to the failure of the soil, a hole appeared, from which poisonous gas began to be released. To prevent people from nearby settlements from suffering, they decided to set the gas on fire. And now, instead of the required two days, the gas has been burning for 46 years and attracts travelers from all over the world. Indeed, photographs against the backdrop of this crater look very impressive.

5. Ghost town of Centralia, USA

The well-known movie town of Silent Hill, it turns out, has a real prototype, in which some scenes of the popular film were even filmed. In 1962, an incident occurred that made the town uninhabitable. It all started quite banally - firefighters were burning garbage in an abandoned pit in a coal mine. Carelessness led to a coal fire. A real underground fire began, which continues to this day. It has become impossible to live in the city, but the danger does not stop lovers of extreme tourism.

6. Hoia Baciu Forest, Romania

Forest with unusual name in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoc has a reputation for being mysterious and mystical place because of various strange events that happen there with enviable regularity. Long stay in this forest can cause nausea, dizziness and even a rash. There are even photographs from Hoya Bachu that show a UFO. The mystical atmosphere of the forest is enhanced by various strange stories— people regularly disappear there without a trace.

7. Poveglia Island, Italy

There is another side to tourist Venice. Poveglia is one of the islands of the Venetian Lagoon, where plague patients were exiled to die. There are many legends about ghosts that roam the abandoned buildings of the island. In the 20th century, a hospital for the mentally ill was opened there, which was notorious. There were terrible rumors about the experiments, and the chief doctor even committed suicide by jumping from high tower. Since then, the island became abandoned until tourists and photographers became interested in it.

8. Spotted Lake, Canada

The unusual lake is located near the town of Osoyoos. The Indians of the local tribe call it Kliluk and attribute to it a variety of magical properties. But its appearance can be explained quite simply - this is due to the high concentration of magnesium sulfate, silver, calcium and titanium. Looks very unusual!

9. Kangbashi Ghost Town, China

Another famous ghost town is Chinese Kanbashi. This is not to say that it is completely deserted. By Karelian standards, a lot of people live in it - about 20 thousand people. The whole problem is that it was designed for 2 million people, so the illusion of a completely empty city is created. You can meet tourists here more often than local residents!

10. Sacred Forest, Italy

The “Sacred Forest” park received the informal name “Garden of Monsters” due to its interesting sculptures. It was built in the 16th century in the small town of Bomarzo. In this forest there are 30 ancient sculptures: Aphrodite, Hercules, the dog Cerberus, sirens and other mythological characters. The park has not been maintained for several centuries, giving it a special flavor.

11. “Hand of the Desert”, Chile

An unusual sculpture is located in northern Chile. The impressive 11-meter monument, as conceived by the author, symbolizes loneliness, injustice and helplessness. The place looks sad and abandoned. However, it is often visited by tourists and photographers. And rock bands even chose the place as a location for filming their music videos.

12. Aokigahara Forest, Japan

The name of the forest is translated very poetically - a plain of blue trees. But local residents know this forest under a completely different name - the forest of suicides. This is not only a popular route for tourists, but also a favorite place for suicides from Tokyo. The authorities are doing everything possible to prevent loss of life, so the forest is regularly patrolled. In addition, there are cameras in the forest and warning signs where helplines can be found. But still the atmosphere of the place is creepy.

13. Vottovaara, Karelia

The rocky massif 226 kilometers from Petrozavodsk enjoys the fame of the most mystical place in Karelia. On the rocky plateau there are many interesting objects: a perfectly carved well in the rock, a triangular stone, seids. The origin of these objects is unclear; the theory about the man-made nature of the seids has not yet been confirmed. But, nevertheless, Vottovaara remains one of the most popular places for mystical tourists from all over Russia. Everything here is in the right mood: twisted, charred trees, thick fogs and malfunctioning equipment (phones and cameras very often stop working here).

No matter how much you love to travel, there are places on Earth where you are not destined to go: only a select few are allowed to enter. And we are not talking about private territories, but about public places.

1. It is unlikely that you will ever be able to get inside the Lascaux caves, located in the southwest of France: only guards can examine the unique rock paintings, which, according to scientists, are more than seventeen thousand years old. In 1963, the caves were closed - a destructive fungus had grown in them, and the presence of people in the caves was considered a destructive factor. Only security guards are allowed to enter here, and then only for a few minutes once a week.

2. Another place where you will not be allowed is the island of Poveglia, located in northern Italy. In past eras, this island was a place of exile for the sick and a heap of corpses of the dead. In the middle of the fourteenth century, when the bubonic plague decimated the inhabitants of Venice, and all of Europe, the island became a place where the sick were exiled. Dead and alive, they were surrounded by firewood and burned to avoid the uncontrolled spread of the disease. History repeated itself in 1630, when the plague swept across Europe again.

Already in the 20th century, a hospital for the insane was built here, and people said that the souls of psychiatric hospital patients who were burned alive and tortured still roam the island. As a result, the island was closed - neither tourists nor local residents will be able to get here.

But you shouldn’t despair: this is a country with so many interesting things that a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to get acquainted with its sights. What are Venice and Florence, or the capital of the country, Rome worth?

3. However, there is one more place in Italy where you will not be allowed. These are the secret archives of the Vatican. They contain state papers and other unique documents of past centuries. You can read the documents, despite the “Secret” stamp - to do this you need to submit an application. But outsiders are prohibited from entering the archive.

4. The entrance to the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, located in Ethiopia, is also closed for tourists. They say that this temple houses a unique biblical object - the Ark of the Old Testament. The object is considered holy, and so holy that only a specially chosen monk can approach it.

5. If you are not a Chinese citizen, you will not be allowed into the local Jiangsu National Security Museum - it reveals to visitors the history of Chinese espionage. Documents and various devices cover the period from 1927. The collection includes tiny pistols disguised as lipstick and other interesting spy arsenal.

However, only the Chinese can enter here - the country's authorities do not intend to divulge espionage secrets to foreigners. But everyone is prohibited from taking photographs here.

Tourists do not always want only to relax: soak up the sun or have a lot of fun. There are adventurers who don't feed them bread - let them experience thrill. They prefer the peaceful Seychelles and the colorful Caribbean to islands that are fraught with danger and known for the tragedies that have occurred there.

First on the list of terrible islands is Ilha de Queimada Grande - Snake Island. It is located off the coast of Brazil. And everyone seems to enjoy this land, but the island is infested with dangerous snakes, such as poisonous spear-headed snakes. The bite of this creature causes irreversible tissue necrosis. The Brazilian government took care of its citizens and visitors and prohibited visiting the island.

Tourists are in no hurry to overcome restrictions and walk around the island. There are so many snakes there that there is a very high probability of stepping on one of their heads and dying from the poison.

Second on the list is the island of Poveglia. It is located in the Venice lagoon. The history of the island dates back to the times of the Roman Empire. Then people with the plague began to be exiled to the island. Several thousand patients died there. Since then, Poveglia has been a mass grave. Centuries passed and Europe fell ill with the bubonic plague. Anyone who seemed sick was brought to the island. The Romans, who left people to slowly die, turned out to be much more merciful than the inhabitants of the Middle Ages. Patients with bubonic plague were thrown into pits along with their corpses and burned. To this day, people still come across charred bones on the island. According to estimates, the island became a grave for 160 thousand people.

But that's not all. In 1922, Poveglia was built mental asylum. There, as in the best horror films, experiments were carried out on sick and not entirely human people. In addition, the ghosts of those who died from the plague haunted the hospital at night with screams and moans.

To this day, no one lives on Poveglia. In the mid-20th century, Italians tried to settle on the island, but the oppressive atmosphere of this place did not allow this.

The next island is Ramri. It is located near the coast of Burma. Many Japanese infantrymen died on Ramree in 1945. Allied forces on the small island were able to push back the Japanese. They, fleeing, rushed into the depths of Ramri. Most did not escape from the local swamps. Crocodiles attacked from all sides and tore the soldiers to pieces. This terrible death was so impressive that it was later included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Next – japanese islands Izu. This small chain of islands is no place for humans, although the few locals don't think so. In this area it is high volcanic activity, and the air there is saturated with sulfur. The concentration of this substance on the islands is the highest in the world. Those who enter the islands must dress up in special masks and wear them without taking them off at all times. Sometimes a siren starts to sound over the islands, which means that the concentration of sulfur in the air has reached lethal levels.

Scientists pay the natives a small amount of money, and people participate in a kind of experiment, the purpose of which is to find out what happens to a person after a long time spent in a protective mask.

The next point is a miraculous island, but it appeared only “thanks” to man - a large Pacific garbage patch. This is a huge mountain of garbage that has ever entered the waters Pacific Ocean. The spot appeared where currents had long carried human waste floating in the ocean. This ocean dump is the size of the state of Texas.

The horror of the spot’s existence, in addition to the disgust of realizing the existence of such an object in the ocean, is that the plastic eventually breaks down into particles the size of plankton. Stupid fish eat the remains of plastic and end up on our table with it in their bellies.

An island made of garbage, of course, is not suitable for walking due to its flimsiness.

Last on our list - famous island Fiji. Not many tourists heading there know that at one time in Fiji they devoured people, killed babies and tortured them in the most terrible ways. In the first half of the 19th century, a missionary came to the island, who later described what he saw there as follows: “October 31, 1839, Thursday. This morning we witnessed a shocking performance. 20 dead bodies men, women and children were brought to Rewa as a gift from Tanoa. They had to be cooked and eaten... The children had fun mocking the corpse of the little girl. A crowd of men and women were cutting up the corpses of a gray-haired old man and a young woman. Human remains floated down the river.”

 

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