Venice, Poveglia island for sale: new tender
There is news on the possibility of selling or long-term concession of the island of Poveglialocated south of the Venice lagoon.
As reported by Il Gazzettino, in recent days, on the website of theState Property Agency, the publication of an exploratory notice has emerged which aims to test the waters regarding the intentions of potential buyers or tenants. The sale would be aimed at enhancing the island of Poveglia.
Poveglia for sale: the publication of the State Property Agency
“Any announcement will in any case be subject to the formalization of an agreement with the town of Venice regarding the joint evaluation methods between the two bodies of the projects presented – explains the State Property – regarding the design indications to be respected, as well as regarding the urban planning forecasts/variants that will be displayed; the prior authorization by the Ministry of Culture remains unaffected”.
Anyone interested in responding to the publication about the sale or long-term concession of the island in the Venice lagoon, the latter included in the list of favorite destinations for foreign tourists for holidays in Italy, he will have until Wednesday 1 February 2023 to present his proposal.
Should it be decided to sell the island of Poveglia and its octagon, the price will be determined following a technical-evaluation report. In the case of a long-term concession, on the other hand, no basic fee is envisaged: in this scenario, the offer will be free, with the State Property Agency assessing its adequacy.
Poveglia will be awarded to whoever manages to present the‘offer which will be more advantageous, at an economic level, for the State. In addition to the fee, however, other questions will also be evaluated, above all the recovery and reuse project for the enhancement of the asset and the mandatory ordinary and extraordinary maintenance activities.
For at least 25 years there has been talk, on and off, of the possibility of selling the island of Poveglia. In 2001 the island of Venice lagoon it had been given in concession to the Student Tourist Center which intended to create a 300-bed accommodation facility for students. The project, however, failed in the bud due to a dispute.
Thirteen years later, in 2014, a tender was issued by the State Property which received an offer of 513,000 euros for the construction of a center intended for the treatment of eating disorders: not even this project went through.
The history of Poveglia between legends and disturbing tales
Located in the south of the Venice lagoon, in front of Malamocco and along the Orano Canal, Poveglia is an island of 7.25 hectares. Once a thriving and populous center, over the years it has been abandoned to erosion and closed to tourism, becoming the protagonist of legends and disturbing stories: some of these speak of Poveglia as ahaunted island.
Throughout the nineteenth century and until after World War II, the island held the role of maritime quarantine station. Among the curiosities that concern it, we can mention one that has as its protagonist Giorgione: various sources indicate the island as the place where the famous painter was buried, even if there has never been a certain confirmation.