Island of San Antón (Pontevedra) facts for kids
The Island of San Antón, also known as San Antonio, is a small Spanish island. You can find it off the coast of Redondela in the Pontevedra province. It's connected to the nearby Island of San Simón by a special three-sided bridge.
Contents
Island History
Refuge from the Plague
For a few years, from 1596 to 1601, a group of monks called Benedictines used the island as a safe place. They were trying to escape the plague, a very serious illness that was spreading in the Pontevedra area.
A Place for Health and Quarantine
In 1838, this small island, which is only about 1.2 hectares (the size of two football fields!), became a "lazaretto." A lazaretto was like a special hospital or quarantine station. It was used to control infections and keep sick people away from healthy ones during deadly epidemics. Ships arriving on the Galician coast would often stop here. Their crews would stay on the island for a time to make sure they weren't carrying any diseases.
The lazaretto on San Antón was known as a "dirty lazaretto." This meant it handled more serious or contagious cases. The lazaretto on the neighboring San Simón island was called a "clean" one. The San Antón lazaretto closed for good in 1927.
From Prison to Youth Center
The buildings on the island are still there, surrounded by eucalyptus trees. From 1936 to 1940, these buildings were used as a prison. People who disagreed with General Francisco Franco's military uprising were held there. Sadly, about 250 people died there in 1941.
Later, all the buildings on both San Antón and San Simón islands were used by the Spanish Youth Organisation. This group used the islands for their activities, likely for young people's programs.
San Antón Today
In 2021, the Island of San Antón was uninhabited, meaning no one lived there. Since 1999, it has been recognized as an important cultural site. It's officially an "Historic Site" because of its long and varied past.
See also
In Spanish: Isla de San Antón (Redondela) para niños
