In 2005, a very unusual discovery was made on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo. Among other bodies discovered in the mass plague graves of the island was a woman's skull with a brick jammed into her mouth – a vampire. Thus, Lazzaretto Nuovo became the vampire island of Venice and news outlets from around the world reported on the discovery of the strange corpse. Of course, you might wonder why a brick in her mouth didn't merely suggest an accident or prank but the act of putting a brick in the mouth of a corpse had a very distinct reasoning behind it.
This was the prescribed way to stop a vampire from rising from their grave once more. In order to discover this strange island for yourself, just find a holiday rental in Venice and pay a visit.
The Black Death descended upon Europe in 1348, and Venice quickly moved against the impending threat which was already killing swathes of the world's population quickly and mercilessly. Venice, being an unimaginably important trade centre in Italy and the trade route which connected the West and East, was particularly susceptible to communicable diseases and their results could be quickly and devastatingly deadly.
The Black Death descended upon Europe in 1348, and Venice quickly moved against the impending threat which was already killing swathes of the world's population quickly and mercilessly. Venice, being an unimaginably important trade centre in Italy and the trade route which connected the West and East, was particularly susceptible to communicable diseases and their results could be quickly and devastatingly deadly.
Two quarantine stations were established to keep the diseased and the potentially diseased away from the highly populated city centre. The Lazzaretto Vecchio (Old Quarantine) was established in 1423 as a plague hospital and quarantine and Lazzaretto Nuovo (New Quarantine) in 1468, as a station to sequester incoming crews and goods from incoming ships and cargo for signs of sickness.
Outbreaks of the plague in 1576 and 1630, thousands sent to be quarantined on outer islands like the two Lazzarettos and most never returned.
Mass graves remain as the depressing end to the tale of these poor people. However, few bodies found tell the complex story of the skull found on Lazzaretto Nuovo. Analysis shows that it belonged to a woman aged between 61 and 71 years old and she is thought to have been a “Shroud Eater”, German vampires which were known for making chewing sounds in the grave and were thought to cause death and destruction from a distance. A Manuscript called “De Masticatione Mortuorum” (“The Chewing Dead”) explained how to deal with such creatures and the brick placed in the mouth was one such method.
Spooky enough as an island populated by mass graves, this island in Venice is made all the more fascinating by the presence of a “vampire” among the dead.
Outbreaks of the plague in 1576 and 1630, thousands sent to be quarantined on outer islands like the two Lazzarettos and most never returned.
Mass graves remain as the depressing end to the tale of these poor people. However, few bodies found tell the complex story of the skull found on Lazzaretto Nuovo. Analysis shows that it belonged to a woman aged between 61 and 71 years old and she is thought to have been a “Shroud Eater”, German vampires which were known for making chewing sounds in the grave and were thought to cause death and destruction from a distance. A Manuscript called “De Masticatione Mortuorum” (“The Chewing Dead”) explained how to deal with such creatures and the brick placed in the mouth was one such method.
Spooky enough as an island populated by mass graves, this island in Venice is made all the more fascinating by the presence of a “vampire” among the dead.
Photo credits
picture 1: Bin im Garten / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Wellcome Library / CC BY-SA 4.0
picture 1: Bin im Garten / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Wellcome Library / CC BY-SA 4.0