Poveglia
The Island That Wouldn’t Die
€4.40
DOWNLOADABLE E-BOOK
Immediately available to your e-mail
Poveglia: The Island That Wouldn’t Die is a hauntingly hilarious, historically grounded, and gleefully macabre deep dive into one of the world’s most notoriously cursed places. Once a plague quarantine station, later a military outpost, and eventually an asylum with a bell tower and a body count, Poveglia is the island that Venice doesn’t talk about – and for good reason.
In this smart, darkly witty entry in the Islands of the World series, we follow the strange, surreal, and often horrifying history of this unassuming scrap of land floating just off the Venetian coast. From its accidental geological birth to its chilling silence today, Poveglia chronicles centuries of human desperation, bureaucratic weirdness, and spiritual dread. Along the way, the book unpacks Venetian politics, plague containment, mental health missteps, and why the ghosts probably aren't even the scariest thing there.
Featuring strange-but-true history, gallows humor, and enough cautionary tales to make you think twice about island real estate, this book is a must-read for fans of atmospheric nonfiction, speculative travel, and the enduring charm of very bad ideas.
Whether you're a historian, a horror buff, or simply someone with a strong stomach and a morbid curiosity, Poveglia: The Island That Wouldn’t Die will pull you into its fog – and leave you wondering if something came back with you.
Perfect for fans of Ghostland, Atlas Obscura, and Dark Histories – or anyone who’s ever Googled “cursed places to visit before you die.”