The abandoned islandin her lagoon Venice – Known as a place of mass burials and formerly asylum of the mentally ill – he is preparing to gain a more enjoyable identity.

As stated in the report of CNNOn August 1, a Venetian group officially takes over its management – by many haunted – island, with a 99 -year lease from the Italian state, with the aim of turning it into an urban park, accessible exclusively to Venice residents.

The locals fought a fierce battle against property manufacturers to ensure that Povelia remains a public good.

In 2014, the island of about 7.5 hectares (18.5 acres) was placed on auction by the Italian Public Property Service. Its location – quiet but also 5 km from St. Mark’s Square – attracted investors.

Various investment schemes have tried to obtain it, including one under the current Venice Mayor, Luigi Brunaro, who raised 513,000 euros, but without receiving the necessary state approval.

Reacting to the privatization perspective, Patricia Veklani founded the “Poveglia Per Tutti” team (Poverty for all), with the aim of saving the island and the like, which are on the divestment list.

The team, which has over 4,500 members, raised 460,000 euros and secured the lease.

“It wasn’t just indignation. It was psychologically traumatic to realize that the city could be divided and sold to the bidder, without an initial price, without even a plan. It is as if Rome decided to sell the Trevi fountain. Venice and its lagoon is one, indivisible, “Veklani told a public forum before the winner of the lease was announced.

Speaking to CNN, he added that this move is a small victory against over -tourism, which has been threatening Venice for years.

About 30 million tourists visit the city each year, and its inhabitants have been reduced to less than 50,000, despite the authorities’ efforts to check the volume of visitors – as with the ban on cruise ships in 2021 and the imposition of a ticket of 5 euros for daily visitors.

“The island would never become as popular as other places,” Veklani said, “but maintaining this small space exclusively for the Venetians is a victory.”

Today there is a dense forest, a military fort, 15 dilapidated hospital buildings and a remarkable colony … rabbits, as the group says.

The gloomy history of Povelia begins in the 18th century, when the island was used as isolation for the victims of the groin plague, which arrived in Venice by fleas from merchant ships.

Initially inhabited by fishermen and farmers, the island was founded as a Roman military base in 421 AD. With the spread of the plague, farmhouses and military buildings were converted into patients, where the patients were undergoing primitive treatments such as bleeding.

The dead were buried in mass graves. Venetian historians estimate that more than 160,000 people were buried in Pobelia from the 18th to the 19th century.

In the 19th century, the island was transformed into asylum for mentally ill who were often chained or undergoing experimental treatments. Asylum was closed in 1968 and the island remains uninhabited since then.

The macabre story of Povelia gave birth to legends about the staircase. Ghost hunters, including the American TV show “Ghost Adventures”, visited the island, enhancing myths.

“The island became famous by strangers who just wanted to exploit it,” said Masimos Pera, a supporter of the team.

“Memories from the island are full of pain, but we will transform it into a place of joy.”

The renovation of the island – which has no electricity or running water – will be guided by the Apsym Research Laboratory of the University of Verona and the Department of Humanities.