Isola del Lazzaretto Vecchio

Lazzaretto Vecchio is an island in the Venetian lagoon whose name recalls its role in the history of plague care. In 1423 the Venetian Senate established a hospital there for people suffering from plague.

Why it matters

The island marks an early institutional response to epidemic disease. Its name developed from Santa Maria di Nazareth, the island's earlier dedication, into the word lazzaretto, later used for quarantine hospitals.

What to notice

The walled complex includes low hospital buildings and the large Tezon, a storage hall that remains a defining feature of the site. Archaeological excavations have uncovered burial areas associated with sixteenth- and seventeenth-century plague epidemics, bearing witness to the scale of the hospital's work.

Context and history

The hospital expanded as the island was enlarged over the lagoon shallows. In the nineteenth century the site was reused as a military warehouse, and several medieval buildings, including the church and bell tower, were demolished. Military use ended in 1965, after which the island served other municipal purposes. The site was designated for a national archaeological museum of the lagoon in 2000; the archaeological and architectural complex preserves the history of Venice's public health measures.