The Island of No Return

The view from the Lido to the Island of Poveglia.

Me and OMD hired some bikes from our respective accomodation and decided to cycle the length of the Lido, especially as the weather was superb. Goldilocks weather if you like, not too hot, not too cold, just right!

On the way to the southern most point I happened to notice this island between all the boat builders yards and decided to stop off for a quick blip and have a wee break.

The Island of Poveglia.

The Island known by Venetians as the place of no return.

"In recent times, some legends have arisen about the island. According to legend, during Roman times it was used to isolate thousands of plague victims, and during the three occasions when the Black Death spread through Europe, the island was effectively used as a lazaretto and plague pit - it was considered an efficient way of keeping the infected people separated from the healthy. According to this version, over 160,000 people died on the island throughout its history.

Another legend states that in 1922 a mental hospital was built on the island. The legend states that a particular mental health doctor tortured and butchered many of the patients, before going "mad" and jumping to his death from the bell tower. According to that same legend, he survived the fall, but was 'strangled by a mist that came up from the ground'. Its ruins remain to this day. The institution in question was not a mental hospital, but a retirement home".

Also, it is said that fisherman still find the remains of the dead in their fishing nets to this day.

The information provided here was obtained via the internet so you can add as many pinches of salt to it as you like. But it still makes for an interesting wee story.