The Truth Behind The Most Haunted Island in Italy

Mystery. History. And most of all, a spooky incarnation of so many ghostly tales come to life. Does that sound up your alley? If so, you’ve come to just the right place.

You’ve likely heard of the Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island, but what do you know about the inspiration behind it? It might come as a surprise to you to learn that there’s some truth in the film, and it comes from a place in beautiful, historic Europe… more specifically, northern Italy.

The real tales behind Poveglia, the most haunted island in Italy, are difficult to discern. Its history is composed of many lost and found stories, some of which have long burrowed their way into the island’s soil, into the island’s bones. But what’s the truth? We’ll uncover it together.

A Brief History of Poveglia Island

Before you set foot ashore, allow us to introduce you to Poveglia: the world’s most haunted island. A small, lesser-known piece of land between Venice and Lido, this locale has experienced more dark history, tragedy, and mystery than a Stephen King novel. Where, how, and when, may you ask? Don’t worry—we’ll fill you in.

Located in the famed Venetian Lagoon, Poveglia is a long-standing piece of land with a colorful (or colorless, depending on how you view it) past. In fact, its history stretches back quite a while—the island first appeared on the historical record in 421, and it was populated for a time until residents fled in 1379. War broke out, which led to its subsequent abandonment.

Between the centuries, the Venetian government constructed forts to fortify the entrances to the lagoon; one of these, aptly dubbed the Poveglia Octagon, is still standing today.

Later years brought disease to Italy, and the island came under the jurisdiction of the Public Health Office. Consequently, Poveglia became a designated quarantine station. It operated as such for a time before a mental hospital was built on its grounds—the very same one that would close in 1968, accompanied by many appropriately supernatural rumors.

A Forbidden Path to Walk

As we said, rumors spiral in the face of mystery. It’s just the nature of things, like gossip or storytelling, or secrets. People crave tasty morsels of forbidden fruit, don’t they? When something is off-limits, they seem to yearn for it more, as if its inaccessibility creates an unavoidable black hole—sucking you in…