Lazaretto Island (Corfu)
Encyclopedia
Lazaretto Island, is located two nautical mile
s northeast of Corfu
. The island has an area of 17.5 acres (70,820.1 m²) and is administered by the Greek National Tourist Organization. It gets its name from the lazaretto
located there.
During Venetian rule in the early 16th century a monastery was built on the islet
and a leprosarium was established there later that century, after which the island was named.
In 1798, during the French occupation, it was occupied by the Russo-Turkish fleet which ran it as a military hospital. During the British occupation, in 1814, the leprosarium was again opened after renovations. After Enosis in 1864 the leprosarium saw occasional use.
During World War II
, the Axis Occupation of Greece established a concentration camp there for the prisoners of the Greek National Resistance movement
. There remains today the two-storied building that served as the Headquarters of the Italian army, a small church, and the wall against which those condemned to death were shot.
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s northeast of Corfu
Corfu (city)
Corfu is a city and a former municipality on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island and of the Corfu regional unit. The city also serves as a capital...
. The island has an area of 17.5 acres (70,820.1 m²) and is administered by the Greek National Tourist Organization. It gets its name from the lazaretto
Lazaretto
A lazaretto or lazaret is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings. Until 1908, lazarets were also used for disinfecting postal items, usually by fumigation...
located there.
During Venetian rule in the early 16th century a monastery was built on the islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
and a leprosarium was established there later that century, after which the island was named.
In 1798, during the French occupation, it was occupied by the Russo-Turkish fleet which ran it as a military hospital. During the British occupation, in 1814, the leprosarium was again opened after renovations. After Enosis in 1864 the leprosarium saw occasional use.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Axis Occupation of Greece established a concentration camp there for the prisoners of the Greek National Resistance movement
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
. There remains today the two-storied building that served as the Headquarters of the Italian army, a small church, and the wall against which those condemned to death were shot.