Chaos in Venice as locals flee to 'haunted island' to escape too many tourists

In 1793, during a bubonic plague outbreak, Poveglia was converted into a quarantine station (Image: Getty)

Once infamous for being one of the most haunted places in Italy, there is one island that is undergoing a dramatic transformation from a ghostly outpost to a sanctuary for Venetians escaping the relentless crush of tourism in their hometown. First a Roman settlement, then a medieval trading post, Poveglia gained its most notorious and haunting reputation for being a quarantine site for plague victims and, later, as the location of a psychiatric hospital. Located between Venice and Lido, just a few miles from the city’s historic centre, the 18-acre island was long neglected after the hospital was closed and left to crumble, but it is now at the heart of a community-led revival.

Activists from the citizens' group Poveglia per Tutti ("Poveglia for Everyone") recently secured a six-year lease on the island, transforming it into a nature park for locals far from the tourist-filled piazzas and overpriced cafes of the mainland. The movement began in 2014, when the Italian state listed Poveglia for a 99-year lease. Concerned that yet another Venetian island might be snapped up by developers for a luxury resort, a coalition of residents sprang into action.

In 1922, the remaining buildings were repurposed into a mental hospital. (Image: Getty)

They launched a crowdfunding campaign and quickly raised over £399,424 from more than 4,600 contributors, which is nearly 10% of the local population.

Their bid initially lost to a higher offer, but after years of legal and bureaucratic hurdles, a court has just awarded them a renewable six-year lease on part of the island earlier this year.

Patrizia Veclani, one of the founders of the Poveglia per Tutti group, told The Times: "We woke up with a nest egg of €460,000 (£399,424)  and a community full of high-level professional skills."

The initiative is now being studied by researchers at the University of Verona, who see it as a potential model for community-led land management elsewhere in Italy and even Europe.

He added: "Nature has reclaimed it [the island]. But with the advice of botanists we are considering what appropriate plants can be reinstated. We are lucky to be able to call on many experts.

"The sharing of knowledge has been wonderful. What’s important is that it is returning to the city, rather than becoming the umpteenth luxury hotel."

The hospital closed in 1968, and the island was abandoned soon after (Image: Getty)

Poveglia remains wild and unspoiled. There’s no electricity or running water, and the area is overgrown with nature and the community plans to keep it that way, with minimal infrastructure. 

Despite measures like a cruise ship ban and a controversial visitor fee, Venice continues to buckle under the weight of mass tourism.

This summer's high-profile events, like the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, have only added to local frustration with canals closed, taxis commandeered, and entire neighbourhoods turned into backdrops for celebrity pictures. 

While most of Venice’s islands have been sold off, like San Clemente which is now a luxury resort managed by the Mandarin Oriental, and Isola delle Rose with its JW Marriott, Poveglia remains one of the few lagoon islands not in corporate hands.

However, there are risks that this could change. Under the current agreement, the lease can be revoked if a 'serious' commercial investor comes forward. For now, the community is hopeful that this example will protect the island, and perhaps even inspire similar efforts.