Description of the attraction
Two nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Corfu is the small island of Lazaretto, formerly known as Agios Dimitrios. The island has an area of 17.5 acres (71 thousand sq. M) and is administered by the Greek National Tourism Organization. This beautiful scenic island with lush vegetation has a very difficult history.
During the Venetian rule at the beginning of the 16th century, a monastery was built on the island. In the same century, a leper colony was founded on the island, from which it got its name. All ships arriving from other countries were sent here for 40-day quarantine in order to avoid the introduction of terrible diseases to Corfu, such as plague. But, despite all the precautions, Corfu nevertheless has not escaped several outbreaks of the disease. The island was used as a quarantine station with some interruptions until the 20th century.
During the French domination on the island of Corfu, Lazaretto was captured by the Russian-Turkish fleet, which organized a military hospital here. In 1814, during the British rule, after a small reconstruction, a leper colony was reopened on the island. After the unification of Corfu and Greece in 1864, the island of Lazaretto was used for its intended purpose only from time to time. During World War II, the Nazi invaders used the island as a concentration camp, where they kept and then executed Greek prisoners of war.
Several buildings from different historical eras have survived to this day on Lazaretto Island. Here you can see a dilapidated two-story building that served as the headquarters for the Italian army. The small church of St. Demetrius is also of architectural interest.
Today, the island of Lazaretto is declared a national monument in honor of the partisans who died here during the Second World War.
