Nowadays, the island of Poveglia is a fascinating place to visit, as long as you are very careful and you have a private boat available.
This place is mentioned for the first time in the chronicles of 421, when the populations from Padua and Este rescued in the lagoon from the barbarian invasions following the fall of the Roman Empire.
Interior on the first floor
The population grew together with Venice, and in the 9th century Poveglia was ruled by a special Podestà. The inhabitants of Poveglia were transferred to Giudecca after the attack by the Genoese fleet in 1379, and the island therefore remained uninhabited for centuries. In 1793 it was transformed into a place of confinement for plague patients, and the hospital was closed in 1814.
The old boilers on the ground floor
In 1922 the buildings were used as an hospital for the mentally ill and later as a nursing home until 1968. Then the island was completely abandoned, and many interesting photographic opportunities can be found among its ruins. Beware that those who go there do so at their own risk because many parts of the buildings are unsafe.