#7: Poveglia Island — Italy
In the Venetian lagoon sits an island with a truly dark past. Poveglia first served as a quarantine station for ships arriving in Venice, but in 1793 it became a dumping ground for plague victims. Thousands died and were buried in mass graves. Its grim history didn’t end there. From 1922 to 1968, the island housed a psychiatric hospital where, according to legend, a doctor performed cruel experiments before taking his own life. Today, Poveglia is completely abandoned and off-limits to visitors. The government ban only makes the stories of its ghosts and tormented souls feel more real.
