The citadel of ghosts
Everyone says the Lazaretto is haunted.
Two centuries of confinement, disease, and death leave marks. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the place carries weight.
Hundreds died here. Thousands were isolated. The walls remember…
The cage that became a bird
The Lazaretto of Maó was a multi-structure sanitary facility built to contain infectious diseases. Ships arriving at the port suspected of carrying contagion were quarantined here. The facility divided into three zones:
✝︎ Suspected bill of health – Ships from areas suspected of disease.
✝︎ Foul bill of health – Crews and cargo from vessels with confirmed plague.
✝︎ Touched bill of health – Infected crew members with contagious diseases.
Each area included buildings for crews, watchtowers, infirmaries, and ventilation warehouses for cargo. The walls served dual purposes: protection and confinement.
It was a sanitary prison.
In 1993, the complex was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The Lazaretto Island sits in the heart of the Port of Maó.
Why this place works for Quarantine
The Lazaretto was built for isolation. For dismantling. For stripping away what didn't serve. Ships arrived carrying disease -visible or suspected. Crews were separated, cargo was aired, time passed. Some left changed. Some didn't leave at all.
Quarantine doesn't use the island as metaphor. The function is literal: seven days of separation from the structures that keep you repeating yourself.
No phones. No easy way out. Just the work, the island, and what you brought with you.
The place already knows what it's for.
Lazaretto facilities
History of the Lazaretto
The Lazaretto of Maó was commissioned by King Carlos III’s minister, the Count of Floridablanca, in response to the arrival of the Bubonic plague on Menorca’s shores from ships in the East and northern Africa. Built in 1793, the complex served as a quarantine sanatorium for those affected by the constant outbreaks of the disease.
The Lazaretto followed in the footsteps of the British government’s previous quarantine complex, the “Illa de la Quarantena,” used in the 19th century for the overcrowded harbor. The Lazaretto opened in 1817, but after a century of use, it was converted into a venue for meetings and conferences.
Today, visitors can step back in time to 19th century Menorca by exploring the preserved spaces and buildings on the island.
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