About
A plague quarantine island that was once home to the alleged "Vampire of Venice."
In 2005, an unexpected discovery was made while excavating the plague graves on Lazzaretto Nuovo: A woman's skull with a brick stuck in its mouth. This symbolised a traditional way of eliminating vampires, and sparked curiosity among those involved in the excavation. The previous arrival of the Black Death caused Venice great distress, leading to the construction of two quarantine stations; Lazzaretto Vecchio stood as a plague hospital built in 1423, while Lazzaretto Nuovo was put up around 1468 as a port of entry for incoming ships and merchandise from which possible diseases could be screened.
