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SocietyItaly

Italy: Venice wants to turn an island into a public park

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Gustav Hofer
February 13, 2026

Several islands in the Venice Lagoon have been sold to private buyers. Now, a citizens' initiative aims to transform the uninhabited island of Poveglia, just off Venice, into a public park.

Poveglia, an uninhabited island in Venice's lagoon, is being reclaimed by citizens after decades of abandonment. The group Poveglia per tutti blocked a planned 2014 auction, raised over €480,000 and has now secured six‑year usage rights. Volunteers aim to create a public biodiversity oasis — a rare victory against the city’s growing privatization and exclusion driven by tourism and wealthy investors.

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