Piombi Prison, Italy

Piombi Prison is known to many travelers under the unofficial name "Lead Prison". It is located in Venice. The Doge's Palace was its location. Two prisons were located here several hundred years ago. Piombi owes its name to the fact that it was built directly under the lead roof of the palace. The prison was considered one of the harshest in Europe during its years of operation. The lead roof of the palace did not prevent the penetration of cold in winter. It was very hot in the summer. The heat in the prison cells was unbearable.

Only seven cells were equipped in the prison. They were used for the detention of political prisoners. Also, prisoners who had a high social position were held here. It was in this prison that the world-famous adventurer Casanova served his sentence. He became one of the few prisoners who managed to escape from Piombi. Casanova described his time in prison and his escape in his memoirs later. Excursions are conducted through the ancient prisons today. Visitors to the Doge's Palace can see the preserved prison cells located under the roof. They will also have the opportunity to descend into the palace's dungeons. The prison was also located there in the medieval period.

The prison located in the dungeons was called Pozzi. Special wells were equipped in it for the detention of prisoners. This prison was considered much more severe. Criminals sentenced to death were kept in it. The grand escape of Casanova made medieval prisons famous all over the world. He had been preparing this escape for more than a year. Initially, he was kept in one of the wells of the underground prison. He was transferred to Piombi's cell later.

Casanova immediately began to make a hole in the floor of his cell. He planned to escape from the empty palace one of the holidays. Casanova was suddenly transferred to another cell when almost everything was ready to escape. Prison guards discovered a huge hole in his former cell soon after. Casanova had to bribe the guards to keep this fact from becoming public. He escaped from his new cell through a hole made in the lead roof shortly after. Next - Tuolsburg Prison