Sherri Granato - Haunted America & Other Paranormal Travels

HAUNTED
AMERICA
& Other
Paranormal Travels

Sherri Granato

Copyright 2015 Sherri Granato.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-0428-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0429-0 (e)

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 4/9/2015

Contents

Poveglia Island, referred by those familiar with its petrifying history as the island of madness or death. Visits to the island of death prove to be a terrifying experience, starting with the ghostly mist that hovers around the bell tower where legend has it that one of the asylum's psychiatrist's jumped to his death after being tortured by the ghosts that suffered and died from his brutal and inhumane treatment.

You do not have to look far to find shocking and disturbing locations on our planet, but some stand out more than others. Poveglia Island, located in northern Italy, has a reputation for being one of the most haunted and scariest destinations on Earth where time, circumstances and the people of the past have all played a part in this terrifying and very real paranormal existence. This island of the dead is where malevolent energy of past horrifying conditions remains in a state of suspended conscience still today.

Poveglia Island, referred by those familiar with its petrifying history as the island of madness or death, has a troubled history at best that dates back as early as the 5 th century, when refugees attempting to flee from the barbarian invasions of the times often met with death on the island. Centuries later during the Black Death Plague, the island was used as a dumping ground for thousands of infected bodies that were discarded into huge pits where they were burned, erasing the remnants of the disease. The Italian doctors that were forced to deal with the plague victims wore special birdlike masks that protected them from their infected patients, but they too often succumbed to the sickness despite their best efforts of shielding their faces and were left on the island with those whom they had attempted to heal.

By 1793 Poveglia was no stranger to sickness, violence and vast amounts of death, and it was during this time that the first victims of yet another plague that affected Europeans were thrown to their own devices on the island of the dead after being transported there by ships. These highly infectious people were plagued by a widespread epidemic that forced them to be kept from the rest of the population. En route to Venice, Italy, Poveglia served as a checkpoint that eventually proved to be the perfect remote, sealed off zone for separating and restricting the contagious citizens from the healthy ones.

Unfortunately, the plan was not thought through in its entirety, and due to having no access to the outside world, most of the deathly ill victims died on the island. The lack of empathy, medicine and nature of the event is believed to be a large contributor to the manifestations that are witnessed there today. The most recent contributing factor leading to paranormal activity being so evident on Poveglia Island possibly comes from the quarantine station that was set up in 1922 and later converted to an insane asylum for treating the mentally ill. Doctors inflicted severe pain by the cruel method of using power drills for frontal lobotomies that sometimes resulted in accidental deaths is believed to be part of the reason that so many ghost sightings have been reported. In 1968 the institution closed down and the entire island of Poveglia has remained abandoned ever since.

Visits to the island of death prove to be a terrifying experience, starting with the ghostly mist that hovers around the bell tower where legend has it that one of the asylum's psychiatrist's jumped to his death after being tortured by the ghosts that suffered and died from his brutal and inhumane treatment. Due to the extreme and widespread belief that the island is dangerous to the living and haunted by hundreds of ghosts, it has been shut down to visitors.

The paranormal past of Poveglia makes it a ghost hunters dream for the ultimate communication with spirits. The team from the Travel Channel, Scariest Places on Earth series, felt up to the challenge of dealing with the harsh paranormal activity and brutal nature of the past events that took place on the island. The Ghost Hunters set up equipment and did not walk away disappointed. During their paranormal investigation, Zak Bagans became violently ill and then briefly possessed by a ghost that was filled with unquestionable rage. This was only the beginning of what was to come.

A heavy energy laced with an overwhelming evil feel was present to anyone who had a beating heart. The spirits lingered everywhere you turned and were caught on night vision cameras. The EVP device evidence was forthcoming as was the movement on the motion detectors. Loud bangs that were never identified circled the group from afar. Disembodied voices speaking in old world Italian were detected, the EMF hit 3.5 temperature spikes and the footsteps of the spirits could be clearly heard walking towards them. Orbs were fast becoming apparent at one point a temperature spike of 22.2 hit with a burst of dark energy and then a fast moving and powerful orb. The past terrors of Poveglia were evident everywhere they walked and the team was engulfed with a darkness that loomed over them that was nothing less than pure evil.

Victims of the bubonic plague, inhumane deaths and cruel treatment were lurking and hovering, communicating in the only way that they know how. The locals fear the island and believe that once trespassing upon its petrifying perimeter you will be forever cursed. Zak believes that the locals just might be on to something, and before leaving the very haunted asylum, the team performs a ritual with oils that were given to them in hopes of ridding the building of obvious wicked and diabolical entities with loathsome intentions towards those who dare to enter their world.

Today, Poveglia Island, the asylum and the thousands of ghosts and spirits that dwell on the 17-acre, uninhabited island of the dead are for sale by the Italian government for the asking price starting at $841 million. According to a recent report in the Telegraph, plans for the historical institution are to transform it into a luxury hotel in hopes of boosting the economy and bring vibrant life back to the lagoon.

Night sweats, hand tremors, grand illusions and temporary disorientation. These are just a few of the symptoms that you might experience when staying in room 152 at the five star-luxury Westin Excelsior in Florence, Italy. Located in Tuscany, a designated World Heritage Site, the architects designed the elegant thirteenth century Italian oasis in the Florentine tradition. Despite the supernatural activity, the hotel has all of the bells and whistles that will absolutely delight your sense of sight, smell and sound. Enchanting, historical and glamorous, the Westin Excelsior is also listed as one of the most haunted hotels in the world by the Tauck tour experts. Armed with an American dream, Arthur Tauck started the travel company in 1925 when he set out on his first tour through New England. The company now offers a travelogue that gives feedback, advice on worldwide destinations, group travel, travel tools and reviews, including haunted hotels, cruise ships and riverboats.