Poveglia Island to Become Public Park After 11-Year Campaign

After an 11-year struggle, the northern islet of Poveglia in the Venetian Lagoon has been granted to the association Poveglia per tutti for six years starting August 1, 2025, to be transformed into a public park. The 70,000-square-meter island, abandoned since 1968, had been slated for privatization by the Italian State Property Agency (Demanio) in 2014, sparking local opposition. The association, founded that same year, mobilized mass support and allied with 40 other groups. An initial auction in 2014 saw Umana Holding, owned by entrepreneur and current mayor Luigi Brugnaro, win with a bid of €513,000 against the association's €460,000, but the Demanio annulled the sale deeming the price inadequate. Poveglia per tutti then submitted a project to manage the island as a common good, and for years volunteers maintained the greenery, cleaned beaches, and cared for a rabbit colony. The concession covers only the northern islet; the southern part remains for sale, but the association plans to raise funds to retain it for a study center or artisanal spaces. The park will be free and accessible via a new pier from Malamocco. The University of Verona's APsyM lab, in partnership with the Demanio and the association, will assess the environmental, historical-cultural, and economic impact, aiming to establish Poveglia as a model for common goods management.