“Custodia gelosa — Zealous custodian” from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
Quarantine was the main method of prevention of the black plague in Venice, and the lazzaretti served that purpose.
Full transcription of the Venetian text from the publication “Capitoli Da osservarsi nelli Lazaretti”, from 1674.
It is not easy to visit the many abandoned islands in the Venetian Lagoon, but it is possible. I’ve been to almost all of them.
This is an interactive map of most of the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Many islands are abandoned, or privately owned and inaccessible
The Venetian Lagoon is much more than just a watery area around the city of Venice. It is an integral part of Venice, its history and its origin.
Bad air was believed to be a major cause of sickness in the past, based on Aristotle’s idea of miasma as the cause of disease.
What do you see when you go shopping for ninety kg of dog food in Venice? The Venetian Lagoon is full of overlooked small wonders.
The Festa della Salute each year on November 21st is an important holiday in Venice. The event celebrates the end of the plague in 1631.
On October 10th, 1423, exactly six hundred years ago, the Venetian state decided to create the first lazaret in the world.