Isabella Mueller Baroness of Stainton le Vale
Deep within the densely wooded slopes of Mount Profitis Ilias on the Greek island of Rhodes lies a place shrouded in dark tales and unsettling legends: the abandoned village of Eleousa. Once known as Campochiaro, it was built in 1935 by the Italian occupiers. Today, its crumbling façades, overgrown streets and, above all, the former sanatorium serve as an eerie backdrop that both fascinates and sends shivers down visitors’ spines. But be warned: the stories surrounding this place are not for the faint-hearted.
A macabre tale in the heart of nature – Campochiaro, now known as Eleousa, was originally a model village planned by the Italians, featuring pretty buildings and a central square. With its idyllic setting in the middle of the forest, it was intended to be a showcase village for Italy, a symbol of order and progress. Yet this idyll is deceptive. After the end of the Second World War, when the Italians left the region, the slow decline of this ambitious settlement began. From the late 1940s onwards, the heart of the village – the central square – took on a completely different function. A sanatorium was established here to care for tuberculosis patients from the surrounding area. Tuberculosis was a dreaded disease at the time, and such institutions were often places of suffering and isolation. Until 1970, attempts were made there to cure the sick, but medical options were limited. Many of the patients died in the spartan hospital rooms of the sanatorium, far away from their families. When the sanatorium was finally closed, what remained was a place steeped in pain and loss. Nature began to reclaim the village: plants grew wild through the window frames and tore down walls, animals roamed through the dilapidated buildings, and the silence that hung over Eleousa was so oppressive that hardly anyone wanted to stay there any longer than necessary.
The Demons of the Sanatorium – There are places that seem to soak up the past. Such is the case with Eleousa. Visitors report a stifling atmosphere the moment they step inside the abandoned sanatorium. The air is cool and damp, even on hot summer’s days, and the creaking of the rotten wooden floorboards beneath their feet sounds like a whisper from the past. But what really gets under your skin are the eerie rumours of paranormal activity that have been circulating about this place for years. Locals tell of ghostly apparitions in the ruins of the sanatorium. Shadowy figures are said to flit through the corridors, and some claim to have heard faint voices or the coughing of invisible people. Especially at night, when the wind whistles through the old walls and the moon bathes the dilapidated buildings in a ghostly light, the place is said to radiate an oppressive energy. It is said that the souls of the patients who died in agony here have found no rest and cannot leave the former sanatorium. A particularly eerie aspect of the legends is the alleged existence of an ‘evil spirit’ that reigns over Eleousa. This spirit is said to bind the restless souls to the place and prevent them from finding peace. Hikers have even reported unexplained occurrences: sudden nausea, dizziness and the feeling of being watched – as if something invisible were trying to take control of them.
The call of the darkness attracts the curious – The mysterious history of the place has made Eleousa a popular destination for adventurers and fans of the paranormal. At night, brave souls set out to explore the ruins of the sanatorium and the deserted streets of the village. Some bring cameras to capture ghostly apparitions; others set up audio recorders in the hope of capturing distorted voices or eerie sounds. Some of these visitors do indeed report strange experiences – from flickering torches and unexplained draughts in enclosed rooms to objects they had previously set down that suddenly vanished. One visitor described a scene that still haunts him in his nightmares: as he wandered through the ruins, he thought he saw a figure through a broken window – a sickly face with pale eyes wide open in fear. When he approached, however, there was no one there. And although many of these stories could be dismissed as mere products of the human imagination, there are some who are firmly convinced that Eleousa is permeated by dark energies. Anyone who has been there leaves the place with a sense of unease – as if they had not only visited the buildings, but also experienced the pain and despair that remain there.
How much truth lies in the myths? – Naturally, sceptical observers wonder whether Eleousa is truly a place of paranormal activity or whether it is merely an exaggerated myth. Historians point out that many similar places with a tragic past give rise to similar legends – often out of fear of the unknown. The secluded location and the dilapidated state of the buildings also help to spark people’s imaginations. Psychologists, on the other hand, explain that the oppressive atmosphere of such places affects the human psyche. Dark rooms, ruined buildings and being confronted with signs of death and decay can trigger feelings of unease and even hallucinations. So what one hears or sees is not necessarily supernatural – it may simply be a projection of one’s own unease. Nevertheless, there are reports that scientists find difficult to explain. Photographs featuring strange shadows, voices on tape recordings, or the recurring description of an eerie presence – all this remains a mystery yet to be solved.
A place between reality and a nightmare – Whatever lies behind the dark tales of Eleousa, one thing is certain: the place is no ordinary tourist destination. Its ghostly atmosphere and terrifying legends make it one of the spookiest attractions on Rhodes. Nevertheless, curious tourists and locals flock there every year – some in search of a thrill, others in the hope of catching a glimpse of the shadow world. Anyone who feels brave enough should still proceed with caution. Eleousa may be fascinating, but it reminds its visitors that the past often does not rest in peace. Step by step, as you wander through the ruins, you can almost feel the history of the place – the cries of the sick, the loneliness of the abandoned, and the eerie darkness that envelops everything. Perhaps, ultimately, that is exactly what Eleousa is: a place where the boundary between our world and the afterlife is so thin that the two seem to merge. Anyone brave enough to linger there should be warned – this place demands more from you than you are prepared to give.
Visit at your own risk – Eleousa is a place where time stands still, yet the stories continue. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the grounds of the abandoned sanatorium are a place of haunting beauty and eerie sadness that leaves no one unmoved. For many, however, the question remains: are the ghosts that haunt this place truly real – or is it merely the darkness of our own thoughts speaking to us?
