Venetians club together to save 'world's most haunted island'

Venetians are clubbing together to bid for a tiny island in the city’s lagoon — reputedly one of the most haunted in the world — to stop it falling into the hands of a luxury hotel developer.

Poveglia is now uninhabited but served as a quarantine station for people dying of infectious diseases in the 18th century. A 20th century nursing home, now abandoned, was allegedly used for experiments on the mentally ill.

A 99-year lease to develop the 17-acre island is to be auctioned by the Italian state on May 7 as part of a sell-off of state-owned castles, monasteries and barracks across the country to help drive down Italy’s debt.

Organisers expect the successful bidder to turn the abandoned hospital into a high-class hotel, despite tales of ghosts prowling the island.

However, an impromptu association, “Poveglia for all” is asking Venetians to give €99 (£81) each to buy the island and create a park and allotment. If the bid fails, contributors will get their money back.

“We could not simply stand by and watch the latest sale of an island to some international hotel group,” said a spokesman for the group. “We want it to stay public, open and for everyone.”

It is planning a democratic system of management by all stakeholders, with a landing jetty built for Venetians who want to have barbecues and create allotments.

The campaign has this week received the backing of Giorgio Orsoni, the mayor of Venice, who said he is considering handing over €99 because he was fed up with seeing new hotels in the lagoon. “We already have enough,” he said.