28/09/2026
Did you know the word “quarantine” has its roots in Venice?
In the 15th century, ships arriving in the Venetian lagoon could be kept apart before entering the city, helping protect Venice from the spread of disease.
The practice became associated with a forty-day waiting period — quaranta giorni — and from this came the Venetian word quarantina, which would eventually travel into other languages as quarantine.
A word used around the world today still carries the memory of Venice.
Inside The Lagoon — stories hidden behind the city we think we know.
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