Mass Plague Graves Found on Venice "Quarantine" Island

World's First "Quarantine" Island:
Workers came across the skeletons while digging the foundation for a new museum on Lazzaretto Vecchio, a small island in the lagoon's south, located a couple of miles from Venice's famed Piazza San Marco (see a map of the Venetian Lagoon). The island is believed to be the world's first lazaret—a quarantine colony intended to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Its presence may have helped Venice recover more quickly during the devastating outbreaks. more