• Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
What's On

Wimbledon tickets are available now as competition enters second week

5 July 2025

Wild moment plane passenger ‘grabs her breasts’ as she furiously demands seat upgrade

5 July 2025

‘I found a genius travel storage hack to protect and organise your sunglasses on holiday’

5 July 2025

Cam Norrie left stunned over ‘dating Emma Raducanu’ question right after Wimbledon win

5 July 2025

UK’s ‘best beach’ with crystal clear water and white sands compared to Majorca and Ibiza

5 July 2025

Black Sabbath LIVE: Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell with Jack Black cameo and Diogo Jota tribute

5 July 2025

BBC doctor says you should send a text message this week

5 July 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • Wimbledon tickets are available now as competition enters second week
  • Wild moment plane passenger ‘grabs her breasts’ as she furiously demands seat upgrade
  • ‘I found a genius travel storage hack to protect and organise your sunglasses on holiday’
  • Cam Norrie left stunned over ‘dating Emma Raducanu’ question right after Wimbledon win
  • UK’s ‘best beach’ with crystal clear water and white sands compared to Majorca and Ibiza
  • Black Sabbath LIVE: Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell with Jack Black cameo and Diogo Jota tribute
  • BBC doctor says you should send a text message this week
  • Major hunt for fare dodgers who beat off-duty policewoman who confronted them
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
England TimesEngland Times
Demo
  • Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
England TimesEngland Times
Home » Abandoned EU island where tourists are banned just 10-miles from popular city
Travel

Abandoned EU island where tourists are banned just 10-miles from popular city

By staff5 July 2025No Comments3 Mins Read

A creepy island surrounded by mystery and ghostly myths is just 10 miles from an insatiably popular tourist destination – but visitors are strictly banned from visiting it

Venice & Venetian Lagoon, Veneto, Italy
The island is a mere stone’s throw from one of Italy’s most popular cities(Image: Getty Images)

A spooky island enveloped by its own grim history and ghostly tales has long prohibited tourists from visiting.

Last year, a whopping 30 million visitors flocked to the canal-divided city of Venice, lured in by its enchanting romance, beautiful architecture and delicious food. The influx resulted in Italian officials extending its tourist tax, which can be as steep as €10 for day-trippers, into 2025 – but even that hasn’t stopped the insane crowds that queue up for attractions such as Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica.

However, just 10 miles away from the chaos lies an abandoned island that has been left to rot for decades. Poveglia, which is technically a cluster of three tiny islands in the Venetian Lagoon, was once a ‘peaceful little community’ that first welcomed inhabitants back in the 7th century. Throughout the years, it managed to avoid invasions occurring on the mainland, and benefited from trading with the nearby island of Pellestrina.

READ MORE: Abandoned £800m UK theme park set for huge overhaul but not everyone’s happy

A ruined Hospital lies crumbling on the abandoned and supposedly haunted Poveglia Island in Italy.
The island was abandoned in the 14th century, before being used as a place to quarantine those with the plague(Image: Getty Images)

However, in the 14th century it is believed the Battle of Chioggia near Venice resulted in residents fleeing the island. Many relocated to Giudecca, a popular island now saturated with tourists.

“It wasn’t until the 18th century that it was put to use again as a storage location for the Republic of Venice,” states Walks of Italy. “Subsequently, in 1776, it came under the jurisdiction of the local Public Health Office.”

A ruined Hospital lies crumbling on the abandoned and supposedly haunted Poveglia Island in Italy.
Legend says the island is made up of 50 per cent ash, even though plague victims were never burnt(Image: Getty Images)

But, in 1793 two ships that stopped for a check were believed to have several cases of the plague, which saw the island rapidly transform itself into a plague quarantine site. Legend has it that the island is now made up of 50 per cent ash due to thousands of victims who were left to die in so-called ‘plague pits’.

“In the 20th century, the island transformed into the site of a psychiatric hospital,” Walks of Italy added. “Another version of the story says that the asylum’s director went crazy and jumped off the clock tower. But according to legend, it wasn’t the jump that caused his death—it was a mysterious fog. This doctor was known for being a bit ‘mad’ and for doing experiments on patients, including performing several lobotomies.”

A ruined building lies crumbling on the abandoned and supposedly haunted Poveglia Island in Italy.
Visiting the island is strictly prohibited (Image: Getty Images)

Poveglia, which is now owned by the government, has long banned tourists from visiting. This is likely due to safety concerns around the hospital, psychiatric ward, prison, and San Vitale Church, which have all been left to crumble.

According to reports, you can seek special permission from the Municipality to visit. However, this tends to be for film crews or researchers, not tourists. However, if you head down to Lido di Venezia near Malamocco – you can catch a glimpse of the island and its ancient church on a clear day.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email

Related News

UK’s ‘best beach’ with crystal clear water and white sands compared to Majorca and Ibiza

5 July 2025

‘Entitled plane passenger banned me from using seat feature for baffling reason’

5 July 2025

ITV This Morning expert issues summer holidays passport warning

5 July 2025

Tense moment Ryanair passengers hastily ‘jump from wings’ of plane after fire alert

5 July 2025

Ryanair to shakeup free cabin bag size after major EU ruling

5 July 2025

Urgent salad and fruit warning to anyone eating common items in hot countries

5 July 2025
Latest News

Wild moment plane passenger ‘grabs her breasts’ as she furiously demands seat upgrade

5 July 2025

‘I found a genius travel storage hack to protect and organise your sunglasses on holiday’

5 July 2025

Cam Norrie left stunned over ‘dating Emma Raducanu’ question right after Wimbledon win

5 July 2025

UK’s ‘best beach’ with crystal clear water and white sands compared to Majorca and Ibiza

5 July 2025
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Entertainment

Black Sabbath LIVE: Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell with Jack Black cameo and Diogo Jota tribute

By staff5 July 20250

Ozzy Osbourne is preparing to head on stage as the Prince of Darkness for one…

BBC doctor says you should send a text message this week

5 July 2025

Major hunt for fare dodgers who beat off-duty policewoman who confronted them

5 July 2025

Horror moment ‘pet’ lion leaps over garden wall to maul mum and two kids

5 July 2025
England Times
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 England Times. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Go to mobile version