In two nautical miles off the North East coast of Corfu is a small island Lazaretto formerly known as Aghios Dimitrios. The island has an area of 17, 5 acres (71 thousand sq m) and is administered by the Greek National tourism organisation. This beautiful scenic island with lush vegetation has a very complicated history.

During the Venetian rule in the early 16th century the island was built a monastery. In the same century, the island was founded a leper colony, because of which it got its name. All ships arriving from other countries, sent here on a 40-day quarantine to prevent the importation of the terrible diseases in Corfu, for example, the plague. But, despite all precautions, Corfu, nevertheless, has not escaped a number of outbreaks of this disease. As a quarantine station, the island was used with some interruptions until the 20th century.

In the period of French rule on the island of Corfu Lazaretto was captured by the Russian-Turkish fleet, who organized the military hospital. In 1814 during the British rule after a little renovation on the island was re-opened a leper colony. After the unification of Corfu and Greece in 1864 the island Lazaretto were in use only from time to time. During the Second World war the Nazi occupiers used the island as a concentration camp in which he was held, and then Greek and executed prisoners of war.

To our days on the island Lazaretto preserved several buildings from different historical periods. Here you can see a dilapidated two-storey building which served as headquarters for the Italian army. Architectural interest is the small Church of St. Demetrius.

Today the island Lazaretto declared a national monument in honour of the partisans who were killed here during the Second World war.