The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, devastated Europe between 1347 and 1351, killing an estimated 25 million people, about a third of the continent's population. The plague originated in the Gobi Desert and spread via the Silk Road, facilitated by the movement of Mongol armies and merchant caravans. The primary vector was the Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), which carried the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
The disease manifested in three forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. The bubonic form, the most common, caused painful swellings or "buboes" in the lymph nodes. The septicemic form infected the bloodstream, and the pneumonic form infected the lungs, making it highly contagious through respiratory droplets.
The plague's spread was exacerbated by the Great Famine of 1315-1317, which had already weakened Europe's population. Cities were particularly hard-hit due to overcrowded living conditions. Notably, Florence lost up to 60% of its population, as chronicled by Giovanni Boccaccio in the Decameron.
Medieval medical knowledge was insufficient to combat the plague. Remedies ranged from bloodletting and boil-lancing to the use of aromatic herbs. Physicians wore distinctive beaked masks filled with aromatic substances, believing these would protect them from the "miasma" or bad air thought to spread the disease.
Social and economic impacts were profound. Labor shortages led to higher wages and a decline in the feudal system. This period saw a rise in anti-Semitic violence, with Jews being scapegoated as plague spreaders. In Strasbourg, over 900 Jews were burned alive in 1349.
The plague also influenced art and literature. The motif of the Danse Macabre or Dance of Death became popular, symbolizing the universality of death. Paintings like The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder reflected the era's grim reality.
Some regions, like Milan, implemented effective quarantine measures, walling up infected houses, which helped reduce mortality rates. The concept of quarantine itself, from the Italian "quaranta giorni" (forty days), originated during this period.
The plague recurred in waves until the 18th century, but none were as devastating as the first. The Black Death remains a stark reminder of the impact of pandemics on human history, influencing public health practices and societal structures for centuries.