Florence
In Florence, a total of 88 epidemic events are known so far. It is a Italian city, located in Tuscany in Italy. The coordinates are 43° 46' 17.04" N, 11° 15' 15.12" E.
Map of Florence
Table
| Disease | DateStart date of the disease. | SummarySummary of the disease event | OriginalOriginal text | TranslationEnglish translation of the text | ReferenceReference(s) to literature | Reference translationReference(s) to the translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1259-04-00-Borgo San Donino | April 1259 JL | Great mortality in Italy, for example in Bologna, Borgo San Donino, Milan and Florence. | Item eodem anno [1259] in Ytalia maxima fuit mortalitas mulierum et hominum, ita quod in vespertino offitio duos mortuos simul in ecclesia habebamus. Et inchoavit ista maledictio in ebdomada de passione, ita quod in tota provincia Bononie fratres Minores offitium in dominica olivarum dicere non potuerunt, ita erant a quodam frigore lesi; et pluribus mensibus duravit infirmitas ista. Tunc obiit domnus Rubinus de Soragna, barbanus Uberti Pelavicini et frater Marchispoli, quem in confessione audivi. Item in Burgo Sancti Donini ex illa pestilentia mortui sunt trecenti et eo amplius, et in Mediolano multa milia, et in Florentia similiter multa milia; nec pulsabant campanas, ne infirmos terrerent | In the same year (1259) in Italy, there was a great mortality among women and men, such that during Vespers, we had two dead bodies at the same time in the church. This curse began in Passion Week, to the point that in the entire province of Bologna, the Friars Minor could not recite the office on Palm Sunday, as they were afflicted by a certain chill; and this illness lasted for several months. At that time, Lord Rubinus de Soragna, uncle of Uberto Pelavicini, and Brother Marchispoli, whom I heard in confession, passed away. Likewise, in the town of Borgo San Donnino, more than three hundred people died from that pestilence, and in Milan many thousands, and similarly many thousands in Florence; the bells were not rung, so as not to frighten the sick. | Template:Salimbene De Adam 1998/99, Vol. 2, pp. 674-675. | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1259-04-00-Italy | April 1259 JL | Epidemic and high mortality in Italy. | Et eodem anno MCCLIX magna fuit mortalitas, et composui librum de tediis. [...] In supradicto millesimo habitabam in Burgo Sancti Donini et composui et scripsi alium librum Tediorum ad similitudinem Pateccli. Item eodem anno in Ytalia maxima fuit mortalitas mulierum et hominum, ita quod in vespertino offitio duos mortuos simul in ecclesia habebamus. Et inchoavit ista maledictio in ebdomada de Passione, ita quod in tota provincia Bononie fratres Minores offitium in Dominica Olivarum dicere non potuerunt, ita erant a quodam frigore lesi; et pluribus mensibus duravit infirmitas ista. Tunc obiit dominus Rubinus de Soragna, barbánus Uberti Pelavicini et frater Marchisopoli, quem in confessione audivi. Item in Burgo Sancti Donini ex illa pestilentia mortui sunt trecenti et eo amplius, et in Mediolano multa milia, et in Florentia similiter multa milia; nec pulsabant campanas, ne infirmos terrerent. | And in the same year 1259, there was a great mortality, and I composed a book about weariness. [...] In the aforementioned year, I lived in San Donino and composed and wrote another book of weariness, similar to Gherardo Patecchio. Also in the same year, in Italy, there was a great mortality of men and women, so much so that during the evening office, we had two dead in the church at the same time. And this curse began in the week of Passion, so that in the whole province of Bologna, the Friars Minor could not perform the office on Palm Sunday, as they were affected by a certain chill; and this illness lasted for several months. Then, Master Rubinus of Soragna, the barber of Uberti Pelavicini, and Brother Marchisopoli, whom I heard in confession, died. Also in San Donino, more than three hundred died from that pestilence, and in Milan, many thousands, and similarly in Florence, many thousands; and the bells did not toll, lest they terrify the sick. | Template:Salimbene De Adam 1966, pp. 674–675. | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1314-00-00-Florence | 1314 JL | A comet in the sky was predicted by the astrologers as a sign for novelties and pestilence. | Come apparve una stella commeta in cielo. Nel detto anno MCCCXIIII apparve una commeta di verso settantrione quasi a la fine del segno de la Vergine, e durò di VI semmane, e seconde che (p. 268) dissono gli astrologi, significò molte novità e pestilenze ch'appresso furono, e la morte del re di Francia e di suoi figliuoli, che morirono poco appresso. | How a comet star appeared in the sky. In the said year 1314 a comet appeared in the north almost at the end of the sign of the Virgin, and lasted six weeks, and according to what the astrologers say, it signified many novelties and pestilences that followed, and the death of the King of France and his sons, who died shortly afterwards. | Giovanni Villani 1990, Vol. 2, pp. 267-268. | Translation by DeepL |
| 1323-08-00-Firenze | August 1323 JL | Fever and headaches of most people in Florence and all over Italy, low mortality. | Nel detto anno MCCCXXIII, a l’uscità d’agosto e a l’entrar di settembre, fu uno vento a favognano, per lo quale amalorono di freddo con alquanti dì con febbre e dolore di testa la maggiore parte degli uomini e de le femmine in Firenze: e questa pestilenza fu generale per tutte le città d’Italia, ma poca gente ne morì; ma in Francia ne morirono assai. | In this year 1323, at the end of August and in early September, there was a Western wind. Because of this, most people in Florence, women and men alike, fell ill with a cold and some days of fever and headaches. And this disease was everywhere in Italy, but few people died of it. But in France, many more died. | Giovanni Villani 1990, vol. 2, pp. 406-407. | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1323-08-00-Firenze2 | August 1323 JL | A fever disease in Florence and all of Italy that causes few mortality, mainly among the elderly, and loss of appetite. It ends in mid-October 1323 | Nel detto anno [1323] e del mese d’agosto e di settembre fu una infermità quasi generale di [p. 134] freddo, ed alquanti pigliava loro la febbre, e perdeano l’appetito, ed alquanti ne morieno, cioè vecchi e vecchie, e fu la detta malattia quasi in tutta Italia, e come venne mezzo ottobre restò. | In the aforementioned year [1323] in the month of August and September there was a general disease of cold, and many were hit with fever and lost their appetite. And some died, old men and women. And this disease was all over Italy, and it stopped mid of October. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, pp. 133-134 | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1340-00-00-Florence | 1340 JL | Epidemic with 20'000 deaths in Florence, shortage | Ipso anno fuit penuria, & morbus magnus; nam Florentiae mortui sunt viginti milia hominum.. | Template:Chronicon Regiense, p. 129 | Translation needed | |
| 1340-00-00-Tuscany | 1340 JL | Mortality in Tuscany, particularly in Florence with more than 3.000 deaths a day. Also disease of the sheeps. | Tunc dicto anno fuit magna mortalitas pecudum et eciam hominum et in partibus Tusciae et Florentiae passi sunt diem extremum ultra tria milia personarum. | Then, in that year, there was a great mortality of livestock and also of humans, and in the regions of Tuscany and Florence, more than three thousand people passed away. | Giovanni da Bazzano - Chronicon Mutinense 1917, p. 119. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5 |
| 1340-03-00-Florence | March 1340 JL | Beginning of a severe epidemic that lasts into the winter and claims 15,000 lives (1/6 of the city), fewer deaths in the surrounding area, grain imported from there; Processions in Florence | Che incontanente cominciò grande mortalità, che quale si ponea malato, quasi nullo ne scampava; e morinne più che il sesto di cittadini pure de' migliori e più cari, maschi e femmine, che non rimase famiglia ch'alcuno non ne morisse, e dove due o ttre e più; e durò quella pestilenzia infino al verno vegnente. E più di XVm corpi tra maschi e femmine e fanciulli se ne sepellirono pure nella città, onde la città era tutta piena di pianto e di dolore, e non si intendea apena ad altro, ch'a sopellire morti. E però si fece ordine che come il morto fosse recato alla chiesa la gente si partisse; che prima stavan tanto che si facea l'asequio, e a tali la predicta con solenni uffici a' maggiorenti; e ordinossi che non andasse banditore per morti. In contado non fu sì grande la mortalita, ma pure ne morirono assai. Con essa pistolenza seguì la fame e il caro, agiunta a quello dell' anno passato; che con tutto lo scemo di morti valse lo staio del grano più di soldi XXX, e più sarebbe assai valuto, se non che 'l Comune ne fece provedenza di farne venire di pelago [...] [p. 227] Per questa mortalità, a dì XVIII di giugno, per consiglio del vescovo e di religiosi si fece in Firenze generale processione, ove furono quasi tutti i cittadini sani maschi e femmine col corpo di Cristo ch'è a Santo Ambruogio, e con esso s'andò per tutta la terra infino a ora di nona, con più di CL torchi accesi | Suddenly there began a great mortality, so that almost no one who fell ill could escape it; and more than a sixth of the best and dearest citizens, male and female, died, so that there was no family that did not die, and where two or three or more; and the pestilence lasted until the coming winter. And more than fifteen male and female bodies and children were buried in the city, so that the city was filled with weeping and sorrow, and there was nothing else to do but mourn the dead. And so it was ordered that when the dead were brought to the church, the people should leave; they had been so long before the funeral was made, and then they were preached with solemn offices to the mayors; and it was ordered that no bannermen should go out for the dead. In the countryside the death toll was not so great, but there were many who died. The famine and dearth followed, added to that of the previous year, so that with all the death toll, the staio of grain was worth more than 30 money, and it would have been worth much more, if the Commune had not taken steps to bring in more money [...] [p... 227] Because of this mortality, on the eighteenth day of June, on the advice of the bishop and the religious, a general procession was held in Florence, where almost all the healthy male and female citizens were present with the body of Christ, which is in Santo Ambruogio, and with it it went throughout the whole city until the ninth hour, with more than 150 torchi lit | Template:Giovanni Villani 1990, vol. 3, pp. 226–227 | Translation by DeepL |
| 1340-06-00-Florence | June 1340 JL | Epidemic in Florence and Romagna | Eodem millesimo de mense junii et julii. Maxima pestis mortalitas fuit in civitate Florentie districtu, qua mortui sunt circa XVIm homines et mulieres; et similis casus accidit in Romandiola | Template:Anonymus 1908, p. 111 | Translation needed | |
| 1346-00-00-Florence | 1346 JL | The mortality in those years was worse and greater than the deaths and disaster that god broughtt with the Flood, described in the Holy Scripture. For the author a conjunction in the year 1346 was not the reason for the plague, but instead the will of god.The passage describes the horrific symptoms and the route of spread through the world, via Africa, Italy, Germany, England and northern and eastern countries. Many people fled to areas, where they hoped to be spared. In addition, Matteo Villani observed that the people were more cruel to each other and didn't help their infected family members. This behavior first came from the barbaric nations, but was also widespread among Christians. With the time the people recognized that people who helped others were more likely spared by the plague. He thinks that the transmissions occur through sight and touch. The doctors were clueless about the reasons and nobody found a remedy. In Florence, the plague lasted from April 1348 to September 1348 and 3 out of 5 people regardless of sex and age died. Only the class had a influence, poor people were more affected. The mortality was everywhere similar in number and kind, like the reports suggested. | Della inaudita mortalità. Truovasi nella Santa Scrittura, che avendo il peccato corotto ogni via della umana carne, Iddio mandò il diluvio sopra la terra: e riservando per la sua misericordia l'umana carne inn-otto anime, di Noè, e di tre suoi figliuoli e delle loro mogli nell'arca, tutta l'altra generazione nel diluvio sommerse. Dappoi per li tempi, multipricando la gente, sono stati alquanti diluvii particulari, mortalità, coruzioni e pistolenze, (p. 6) fame e molti altri mali, che Idio ha permessi venire sopra li uomini per li loro peccati. […] Ma per quello che trovare si possa per le scritture, dal generale diluvio in qua, non fu universale giudicio di mortalità che tanto comprendesse l'universo, come quella che ne' nostri dì avenne. Nella quale mortalità, considerando la moltitudine che allora vivea, in comperazione di coloro (p. 7) ch'erano in vita al tempo del generale diluvio, assai più ne morirono in questa che in quello, secondo la estimazione di molti discreti. Nella quale mortalità avendo renduta l'anima a dDio l'autore della cronica nominata la Cronica di Giovanni Villani cittadino di Firenze […] (p. 8) Quanto durava il tempo della moria in catuno paese. Avendo per cominciamento nel nostro prencipio a racontare lo isterminio della generazione umana, e convenendone divisare il tempo e modo, la qualità, e quantità di quella, stipidisce la mente apressandosi a scriver la sentenzia, che lla divina giustizia co molta misericordia mandò sopra li uomini, degni per la curuzzione del peccato di finale giudicio. Ma pensando l’utolità salutevole che di questa memoria puote adivenire alle nazioni che dopo noi seguiranno, con più sicurtà del nostro animo così cominciamo. Videsi nelli anni di Cristo, dalla sua salutevole incarnazione MCCCXLVI, la congiunzione di tre superiori pianeti nel segno dell’Aquario, della quale congiunzione si disse per li astrolaghi che Saturno fu signore: onde pronosticarono al mondo grandi e gravi novitadi; ma simile congiunzione per li tempi passati molte altre volte stata e mostrata, la infruenza per altri particulari accidenti no parve cagione di questa, ma più tosto (p. 9) divino giudicio secondo la disposizione della assoluto volontà di Dio. Cominciossi nelle Parti d’Oriente, nel detto anno [1346], in verso il Cattai e l'India superiore, e nelle altre province circustanti a quelle marine dell’Occeano, una pestilenzia tra li uomini d’ogni condizione di catuna età e sesso, che cominciavano a sputare sangue, e morivano chi di sùbito, chi in due o in tre dì, e alquanti sostenevano più al morire. E Aveniva, che-cchi era a servire questi malati, appiccandosi quella malatia, o infetti, di quella medesima coruzione incontanente malavano, e morivano per somigliante modo; e a’ più ingrossava l’anguinaia, e a molti sotto le ditella delle braccia a destra e a sinistra, e altri in altre parti del corpo, che quasi generalmente alcuna enfiatura singulare nel corpo infetto si dimostrava. Questa pestilenzia si venne di tempo in tempo e di gente in gente aprendendo: comprese infra 'l termine d'uno anno la terza parte del mondo che si chiama Asia. E nell'ultimo di questo tempo (p. 10) s'agiunse alle nazioni del mare Maggiore, e alle ripdel mare Tirreno, nella Soria e Turchia, e in verso l'Egitto e lla riviera del mare Rosso, e dalla parte settantrionale la Rossia e lla Greccia, l'Erminia e l'altre conseguenti province. E in quello tempo galee d'Italiani si partirono del mare Maggiore, e della Soria e di Romania per fuggire la morte, e recare le loro mercantie inn-Italia: e' non poterono cansare che gran parte di loro no morisse in mare di quello infermità. E arivati in Cicilia conversaro co' paesani, e lasciarvi di loro malati, onde incontanente si comincià quella pistolenza ne’ Ciciliani. E venendo le dette galee a Pisa, e poi a Genova, per la conversazione di quelli uomini cominciò la mortalità ne’ detti luoghi, ma non generale. Poi conseguendo il tempo ordinato da dDio a’ paesi, la Cicilia tutta fu involta in questa mortale pistilenzia; E Il’ Africa nelle marine, e nelle sue province di verso levante e le rive del nostro mare Tirreno. E venendo di tempo in tempo verso il ponente, comprese la Sardigna, la Corsica, e l’altre isole di questo mare; e dall’altra parte, ch’è detta Europia, per simigliante modo agiunse alle parti vicine verso il ponente, volgendosi verso il mezzo giorno (p. 11) con più aspro asalimento che sotto le parti settantrionali. E nell’anni di Cristo MCCCXLVIII ebbe infetta tutta Italia, salva che lla città di Melano, e certi circustanti a l'alpi, che dividono la Italia dall'Alamagna, ove gravò poco. E in questo medesimo anno cominciò a passare le montagne, e stendersi in Provenza, in Savoia, nel Dalfinato, e in Borgogna, per la marina di Marsilia e d'Aguamorta, per la Catalogna, nell'isola di Maiolica, e in Ispagna e in Granata. E nel MCCCXLVIIII ebbe compreso fino nel ponente le rive del mare Occeano, d’Europia e d'Africa e d'Irlanda, e l'isola d’Inghilterra e di Scozia, e l'altre isole di ponente, e tutto infra terra con quasi iguale mortalità, salvo in Brabante ove poco offese. E nell MCCCL premette li Alamanni, li Ungheri, Donnismarche, Gotti, e Vandali, e li altri popoli e nazioni settantrionali. E la successione di questa pistolenzia durava nel paese ove s'aprendea cinque mesi continovi, overo cinque lunari: e questo avemmo per sperienza certa di molti paesi. Avenne, perché parea che questa impestifera infezione s’appiccasse per la veduta e per lo toccamento, che come l’uomo o lla femina e' fanciulli si conoscevano malati di quella enfiatura, molti n’abandonavano, e inumerabile quantità ne morirono che sarebbono campati se fossono stati aiutati (p. 12) delle cose bisognevoli. Tra lli infedeli cominciò questa innumanità crudele, che lle madri e' padri abandonavano i figiuoli, e i figliuoli i padri e lle madri, e l'uno fratello l'altro e li altri congiunti, cosa crudele e maravigliosa, e molto strana dalla umana natura, ditestata tra' fedeli cristiani, ne' quali seguendo le nazioni barbere, questa crudeltà si trovò. Essendo cominciata nella nostra città di Firenze, fu biasimata da’ discreti la sperienza veduta di molti, i quali si providono, e rinchiusono i luoghi solitari e di sana aria, forniti d’ogni buona cosa da vivere, ove non era sospetto di gente infetta; in diverse contrade il divino giudicio (a ccui non si può serrare le porti) li abatté come li altri che no s'erano proveduti. E molti altri, i quali si dispuosono alla morte per servire i loro parenti e amici malati, camparono avendo male, e assai non l’ebbono continovando quello servigio; per la qual cosa ciascuno si ravide, e cominciarono sanza sospetto ad aiutare e a servire l'uno l'altro; onde molti guarirono, ed erano più sicuri a servire li altri. (p. 13) Di detta matera. Di questa pestifera infermità i medici in catuna parte del mondo, per filosofia naturale, o per fisica, o per arte di strologia non ebbono argomento né vera cura. Alquanti per guadagnare andarono visitando e dando loro argomenti, li quali per la loro morte mostrarono l’arte essere fitta e non vera: e assai per coscienza lasciarono a ristituire i danari che di ciò avieno presi indebitamente. Nella nostra città cominciò generale all’entrare del mese d’aprile li anni Domini MCCCXLVIII, e durò fino al cominciamento del mese di settembre del detto anno. E morì tra nella città, contado e distretto di Firenze, d’ogni sesso e di catuna età, de’ cinque i tre e più, compensando il minuto popolo e i mezzani e’ maggiori, perché alquanto fu più menovato perché cominciò prima, ed ebbe meno (p. 14) aiuto e più disagi e difetti. E nel generale per tutto il mondo mancò la generazione umana per simiglante numero e modo, secondo le novelle ch'avemmo di molti paesi strani e di molte province del mondo. Ben furono province nel levante dove vie più ne moriro. | Of the outrageous mortality It is found in Holy Scripture that when sin had corrupted every human way of life, God sent the Flood upon the earth: and by his mercy saved eight souls, namely Noah, his three sons and their wives in the ark, while all the rest of mankind perished in the flood. Since then, in the course of time, as men multiplied, there have been some local floods, mortalities, corruptions and diseases, famines, and many other evils which God has permitted to come upon men because of their sins. [...] But from all that can be found in the Scriptures, there has been no universal judgement of mortality since the general deluge, which has affected the whole world so much as that which has taken place in our day. In this mortality, considering the multitude of people then living, as compared with those who lived at the time of the general deluge, far more people died in this than in that, according to the estimation of many experts. In this mortality, the author of the chronicle called "La Cronica" Giovanni Villani, citizen of Florence, gave his soul back to God. [...] How long the plague lasted in each country As we must begin our narrative by describing the destruction of the human generation, and by setting forth the time, type, quality, and quantity of this pestilence, a horror seizes the mind as it prepares to write the judgement which divine justice brought with much mercy upon men who, through the corruption of sin, had deserved final judgement. But when we think of the salutary benefits that can come from this report for the nations that will come after us, we begin with greater confidence. In the years of Christ, from his salvific incarnation in 1346, the conjunction of three upper planets was seen in the sign of Aquarius. The astrologers said that Saturn was the ruler of this conjunction and prophesied great and grave news to the world; but similar conjunctions had occurred many times in the past, and the influences of other particular events did not seem to be the cause of it, but rather divine judgement according to the absolute will of God. In that year 1346, in the eastern regions, towards Cathay and Upper India and in the neighbouring provinces on the coasts of the ocean, a plague began among the people of all classes, ages and sexes. The diseased began to spit blood and died either immediately, within two or three days and some only after prolonged suffering. It happened that those who cared for the sick were themselves infected, fell ill immediately and died in a similar way. In many, the groin swelled up, in others lymph nodes under the arms and in other parts of the body, and there was almost always a unique swelling on the infected body. This plague spread from time to time and from people to people: Within a year it covered a third of the world called Asia. At the end of this period it reached the peoples of the Black Sea and the coasts of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Syria and Turkey, Egypt and the coast of the Red Sea, the northern part of Russia, Greece, Armenia and other neighbouring provinces. At this time, Italian galleys left the Black Sea, Syria and Romania to escape death and bring their goods to Italy, but many of them died at sea from the disease. When they arrived in Sicily, they infected the locals, causing an immediate outbreak of the plague among the Sicilians. When the aforementioned galleys reached Pisa and then Genoa, mortality began in these places due to contact with these people, but not on a generalised scale. Then, when the time appointed by God for the countries came, the deadly plague seized the whole of Sicily; the coasts of Africa and the eastern provinces and the coasts of our Tyrrhenian Sea. It spread from time to time further westwards, and seized Sardinia, Corsica, and the other islands of that sea; and on the other side, which is called Europe, it reached the western parts in like manner, turning southwards, and attacking more violently than in the north. In the years of Christ 1348, it had infected the whole of Italy, with the exception of the city of Milan and some areas near the Alps that separate Italy from Germany, where it raged very little. In the same year, it began to cross the mountains and spread to Provence, Savoy, Dauphiné and Burgundy, along the coasts of Marseille and Aigues-Mortes, Catalonia, the island of Mallorca, Spain and Granada. In 1349, it finally reached the coasts of the Atlantic in Europe and Africa, as well as Ireland, the islands of England and Scotland and other western islands, and also spread inland with almost the same mortality rate, with the exception of Brabant, which was only slightly affected. In 1350 it reached Germany, Hungary, Denmark, the Goths, Vandals and other northern peoples and nations. The duration of this pestilence in the countries affected was five consecutive months or five lunar months, and this we have learnt as certain knowledge from many countries. It came about because it appeared that this pestilential infection was transmitted by sight and touch, that as the man or woman or children recognised the disease of the swelling, many left it and countless people died who could have been saved if they had been given the necessary remedies. Among the unbelievers this cruel inhumanity began, that mothers and fathers left their children, children left their parents, brothers and sisters left each other - a cruel, strange and very unhuman act, which was widespread even among Christians, following the barbaric nations. When it began in our city of Florence, it was condemned by the wise people, that many people took the precaution of moving to remote places with healthy air, equipped with all the necessities of life, in places where no infected people were suspected. They were struck by the divine judgment, to which no doors can be closed, like others who had not prepared themselves. Many others who had chosen to die in the service of their sick relatives and friends survived despite the illness, and many who continued this service did not fall ill. This led to everyone regaining courage and beginning to help and serve one another without fear, resulting in many recovering and being more confident to help others. About this subject The doctors in all parts of the world had no remedy or true cure for this pestilential disease either by natural philosophy, medicine, or astrology. Some, for gain, visited the sick and gave them advice, but their deaths showed their art to be deceitful and untruthful: many others, for conscience sake, returned the wrongfully obtained money. In our town, the general plague began at the beginning of April 1348 and lasted until the beginning of September of the same year. In the city, neighbourhood and district of Florence, more than three out of five people of each sex and age died, with the poor being more affected than the middle and richer part of the population, as they started earlier and had less help and greater inconveniences and shortcomings. On the whole, the human population in the world was similarly lacking in number and kind, according to the reports we have received from many foreign countries and provinces of the world. However, there were provinces in the East where even more people died. | Template:Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 1, pp. 5-14. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1346-00-00-Florence 001 | 1346 JL | Florence was threatened by a famine. The city gathered large supplies of grain from elsewhere, however the problems weren't solved, because many people from the countryside came in the city. In addition to the famine diseases broke out amnong the immigrants and then it distributed also among the urban masses. | Cum ergo fames haud dubie immineret, sollers plane ad hoc civitas, in Africa et Sardinia et Sicilia aliisque locis permultis magna vi frumenti comparata, mari simul terraque importandum curavit. Nec eo tamen modo evitari potuit, quin difficultates permaximae (p. 306) eo anno subirentur. Turba enim ex agro in urbem mendicatura longis agminibus mulierum puerorumque advenerat. Ex finitimis etiam civitatibus quae minus ad hoc providae fuerant multitudo concurrerat, ut infinitus prope numerus hominum esset alendus. Magnumque in his civitatis meritum humanitasque eluxit; non modo enim non reiectus est quisquam advenarum peregrinorumque, sed etiam si tenuis foret, liberalitate gratuita per tantam rei frumentariae inopiam sustentatus, ut prope collatum a civitate beneficium in genus humanum videretur. Multa insuper eo anno tenuioribus indulta, et illud in primis, quod creditorum acerbitas repressa est, lege lata, ne quis nisi certa forma pro aere alieno conveniri posset. Satis enim premi caritate ipsa multitudinem existimavit civitas. Et accedebant ad caritatem morbi, qui multitudinem convenam et urbis insuetam consecuti, urbanam quoque apprehenderant turbam, ut et commiserendum et succurrendum esset. | So, as there was now no doubt about the threat of famine, the city showed its resourcefulness, gathering large supplies of grain in Africa, Sardinia, Sicily and many other places and seeing to their importation simultaneously by land and sea. But these steps were not enough to avoid the enormous difficulties they faced that year. For throngs of women and children from the countryside came (p. 308) into the city in long lines to beg. They were joined by multitudes from the nearby cities which had been less provident in this respect, so that there was almost an infinite number of people to feed. Amid these challenges the city’s great merit and humanity shone forth. For not only was not a single immigrant or foreigner turned away, but even the poor, with gratuitous liberality, were sustained throughout this great dearth of provisions, so that Florence seemed almost to have conferred a benefit on the human race. In this year, moreover, many allowances were made on behalf of the poor, and principally this: that the harshness of creditors was kept in check. A law was passed prohibiting suitors to collect debt except under particular conditions; the city felt that the multitude was oppressed enough already by the famine. And in addition to the famine there were the diseases which broke out among the throng of immigrants unused to the city, then spread among the urban masses, so that mercy and succor were needful. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 2, pp. 306-308. | None |
| 1347-00-00-Florence | May 1347 JL | Epidemic follows famine in Florence, 4000 dead (mainly women and children); particularly bad in Romagna, Provence, Bologna, Vignone, Pistoia and Prato. The mortality was foretold by astrologers. | Di grande mortalità che ffu in Firenze, ma più grande altrove, come diremo apresso Nel detto anno e tempo, come sempre pare che segua dopo la carestia e fame, si cominciò in Firenze e nel contado infermeria, e apresso mortalità di genti, e spezialmente in femine e fanciulli, il più in poveri genti, e durò fino al novembre vegnente MCCCXLVII ma però non fu così grande, come fu la mortalità dell'anno MCCCXL come adietro facemmo menzione; ma albitrando al grosso, ch'altrimenti non si può sapere a punto in tanta città come Firenze, ma in di grosso si stimò che morissono in questo tempo più di IIIIm persone, tra uomini e più femmine e fanciulli; morirono bene de' XX l'uno; e fecesi comandamento per lo Comune che niuno morto si dovesse bandire, né sonare campane alle chiese, ove i morti si sotterravano, perchè lla gente non isbigotisse d'udire di tanti morti. E lla detta mortalità fu predetta dinanzi per maestri di strologia, dicendo che quando fu il sostizio vernale, cioè quando il sole entrò nel principio dell'Ariete del mese di marzo passato, l'ascendente che ffu nel detto sostizio fu il segno della Vergine, e 'l suo signore, cioè il pianeto di Mercurio, si trovò nel segno dell'Ariete nella ottava casa, ch'è casa che significa morte; e se non che il pianeto di Giove, ch'è fortunato e di vita, si ritrovò col detto Mercurio nella detta casa e segno, la mortalità sarebbe stata infinita, se fosse piaciuto a dDio. Ma nnoi dovemo credere e avere per certo che Idio promette le dette pestilenze e ll'altre a' popoli, cittadi e paesi [p. 486] per pulizione de'peccati e non solamente per corsi di stelle, ma tolera, siccome signore dell'universo e del corso del celesto, come gli piace; e quando vuole, fa accordare il corso delle stelle al suo giudicio; e questo basti in questa parte e d'intorno a Firenze del detto delli astrolagi. La detta mortalità fu maggiore in Pistoia e Prato e nelle nostre circustanze all'avenante della gente di Firenze, e maggiore in Bologna e in Romagna, e maggiore in Vignone e in Proenza ov'era la corte del papa, e per tutto il reame di Francia. | Of a great mortality which occurred in Florence, although it was greater elsewhere, as we will recount. In this year and season, as seemingly always after food shortages and famines, a sickness began in the city and countryside of Florence. Soon people began to die, especially women and children, and the most among the poor. It lasted until November 1347, but it was not as great as the mortality of 1340 that we described earlier. If we make a rough guess—it is impossible to do otherwise in a city as great as Florence—it seems that this time more than four thousand people died, men and more women and children. More than one in twenty died. It was ordered by the commune that no death be announced and no church bell be sounded during burials, lest people be terrified to hear of so many deaths. This mortality was foretold by master astrologers who stated that during the vernal solstice—that is when the sun entered the sign of Aries last March—the sign of Virgo was rising and Virgo’s ruler Mercury was in the eighth house of Aries, a house signifying death. And were it not for the fact that Jupiter, which brings fortune and life, accompanied Mercury in this house and sign, the mortality would have been endless—if this had pleased God. But we should believe and be certain that the Lord God promises the said pestilences and others to peoples, cities, and lands to cleanse their sins, and [that he does so] not only through the movement of the stars but sometimes—as Lord of the universe and celestial motion—according to his will. And when he wishes, he matches the movement of the stars to his judgment. Let this suffice regarding Florence, its surroundings, and the sayings of astrologers. This mortality was greater in Pistoia and Prato and in the surrounding territories nearer to Florence; it was greater in Bologna and in Romagna; it was greater at Avignon and in Provence, where the papal court was, and throughout the kingdom of France. | Template:Giovanni Villani 1990, vol. 3, pp. 485–486. | None |
| 1347-00-00-Florence 001 | 1347 JL | Until harvest-time the problems of food shortage still existed in Florence. The first signs of the Black Death were seen in this time, but the plague arose already 2 year earlier in the East. The symptoms were horrible and many people died. | Altero dehinc anno, priusquam segetes maturescerent, eaedem quae superiori tempore difficultates rei frumentariae populum tenuere. Maturis deinde frugibus atque collectis, difficultates illae pristinae cessavere. Variis tamen morborum generibus laborabatur, et pestilentiae, qua postmodum vastata Italia est, signa quaedam horrenda tunc primum apparuerunt. Ea clades biennio fere ante (quantum haberi notitia poterat) in Orientis partibus coorta; mox inde per populos pestilenti contagio evagata, alia subinde appetendo loca, regiones cumulatis funeribus inanierat. Febris erat sopifera et inguinis tumor. Id quasi venenum quoddam robustissimos iuvenes, alioquin sanos, repente invadens, paucissimis interdum enecabat horis. Contagia omnium exitiosa erant. Ea igitur tunc civitatem ingressa imbecilliora primum corpora puerorum puellarumque conficere coepit; inde ad firmiora transgrediens, per omnem sexum aetatemque vagata est. | The next year, up until harvest-time, the People were preoccupied with the same difficulties of provisioning as before; but once the crops ripened and were harvested, these earlier difficulties ceased. Yet they were still suffering from diseases of various kinds, and certain horrid signs of the pestilence which afterwards devastated Italy then became manifest for the first time. As far as one can tell, this disaster had arisen two years earlier in parts of the East, then soon spread with epidemic virulence from populace to populace, seeking out one place after another, emptying whole regions with piles of corpses. It caused a sleep-inducing fever and a swelling in the groin. Like a kind of poison it suddenly attacked the most robust young men, otherwise healthy, and killed them in a few hours. It was the most destructive of all epidemics; and it was this epidemic that entered the city at that time. It began by first consuming the weaker bodies of boys and girls, then passed on to the stronger, spreading through both sexes and persons of every age. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 2, p. 310. | None |
| 1347-00-00-Florence 002 | 1347 JL | The great shortage of food in Florence led to disease and illness. The city took measures to reduce poverty, usury and exploitation. In addition, many prisoners were allowed to go out to freedom under certain terms. The conditions in the prisons were so terrible, that it was unavoidable. | Di certe novità e ordini che ssi feciono in Firenze per lo caro ch'era, e mortalità Essendo in Firenze e d'intorno il caro grande di grano e d'ogni vittuaglia, come poco adietro avemo fatta menzione, essendone afritti i cittadini e contadini, spezialmente i poveri e impotenti, e ogni dì venia montando il caro e lla difalta; e oltre a cciò conseguente cominciata infermità e mortalità, il Comune provide e fece dicreto a dì XIII di marzo che niuno potesse esere preso per niuno debito di fiorini C d'oro, o da indi in giù, infino a calen di agosto vegnente, salvo all'uficiale della mercatantia da libre XXV in su, acciò che ll'impotenti non fossono tribolati di loro debiti, avendo la passione della fame e mortalità. E oltre a cciò feciono ordine che nessuno potesse vendere lo staio del grano più di soldi XL; e chi nne recasse di fuori del contado di Firenze per vendere, avesse dal Comune fiorino uno d'oro del moggio; ma non si potéo osservare, che tanto montò la carestia e difalta, che ssi vendea fiorino uno d'oro lo staio, e talora libre IIII; e se non fosse la provisione del Comune, come dicemmo adietro, il popolo moria di fame. E per la pasqua di Risoresso seguente, che ffu in calen di aprile MCCCXLVII, il Comune (p. 484) fece offerta di tutti i prigioni ch'erano nelle carcere, che riavessero pace da'loro nimici, e stati in prigione da calen di febraio adietro; e chiunque v'era per debito da libre C in giù, rimanendo obrigato al suo creditore; e ffu gran bene e limosina, che per la 'nopia è ggià cominciata la mortalità, ogni dì morivano nelle carcere due o tre prigioni; furono gli oferti in quello dì CLXXIII, che ve ne avea più di D in più in grande inopia e povertà. E poi a l'uscita di maggio per sudette cagioni si fece riformagione per lo Comune di Firenze, che chiunque fosse nelle carcere o fosse in bando di pecunia da fiorini C d'oro in su, ne potesse uscire pagando al Comune in danari contanti soldi III per libra di quello fosse condannato o sbandito, e scontando ancora i soldi XVII per libra del debito del Comune che s'avea chi llo volea comperare per XXVIII o XXX per C da coloro che doveano avere dal Comune, che venia la detta gabella di pagare da soldi VII e mezzo per libra. Certi gli pagaro e uscirono di bando e di prigione, ma non furo guari; tanto era povero il comune popolo di cittadini per lo caro e ll'altre aversità occorse. | Of certain measures taken and ordinances made in Florence because of the recent food shortage and the sickness. As we noted a short while ago, there was a great shortage of grain and other foodstuffs in the city and the territory of Florence. The citizens and country folk were afflicted by this shortage, especially the poor and the powerless. Every day this shortage and this lack [of food] grew worse and, what is more, there then began a great sickness and mortality. The commune took things in hand, decreeing on the 23rd of March that until the coming August no one could be arrested for any debt of one hundred gold florins or less, unless by an official of the merchants’ court for twenty-five lire or more—this so that the powerless would not be harassed for their debts, since they were already suffering from hunger and sickness. Moreover, they issued an ordinance that no one could sell a staio of grain for more than forty soldi. And anyone who brought grain to sell from beyond the contado of Florence would receive one gold florin per moggio from the commune. But these ordinances could not be obeyed because the shortage and the lack [of food] so worsened that grain was being sold at one gold florin per staio, and sometimes at four lire per staio. And were it not for the provisions of the commune, which we mentioned earlier, the popolo would have died of hunger. The following Easter, which came in the month of April 1347, the commune made an offering of all jailed prisoners who had been in prison since the previous February and who were able to make peace with their enemies, and of prisoners who had been imprisoned for debts of one hundred Lire or less ([although] they remained obliged to their creditors). This was good and charitable, since the shortage had already provoked sickness and two or three prisoners were dying every day in the jails. On that day, one hundred seventy-three prisoners were offered, and there were more than five hundred others in great want and poverty. And then at the end of May, for the abovementioned reasons, a reform was made by the Commune of Florence—whoever was in jail or under ban for one hundred gold florins or more could get out by paying the commune three soldi for every one lira of the sum for which they had been condemned or banned, forgiving the seventeen soldi per lira of their debt to the commune, for there were those who were willing to buy [this debt] at twenty-eight or at thirty per one hundred from those who were creditors of the commune and this because the said gabelle stood to pay 7% soldi per lira. Some paid and were released from ban and from prison but they (p. 137) were very few, so poor were the common popolo of citizens as a consequence of the shortage and the other adversities which had occured. | Giovanni Villani 1990, Vol. 3, pp. 483-484. | None |
| 1347-05-00-Bologna | May 1347 JL | Mortality in Bologna, Brescia, Milan and Florence, 10.000 deaths over several months | Dicto anno fuit magna mortalitas personarum maxime in civitate Bononiae, et [mortui sunt] de maioribus et melioribus personis ipsius civitatis ultra decem milia personarum et duravit dicta mortalitas a mense maii usque ad mensem septembris; et similiter fuit dicta mortalitas in civitate Mediolani, Brixiae et Florentiae. | In the same year, there was a great mortality of people, especially in the city of Bologna, and over ten thousand of the most prominent and best citizens of that city died. This mortality lasted from the month of May until the month of September. Similarly, there was said to be a great mortality in the cities of Milan, Brescia, and Florence | Giovanni da Bazzano - Chronicon Mutinense 1917, p. 135 | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1347-08-00-Florence | August 1347 JL | A comet was seen as a sign of evil things, such as the death of kings and potentates and mortality. The predictions turned out to be true, as the forthcoming events have shown, especially in the Orient during this time. | Come in cielo aparve una commeta. Nel detto anno, del mese d'agosto, aparve in cielo la stella commeta, che ssi chiama Nigra, nel segno del Tauro, a gradi XVI nel capo della figura e segno del Gorgone, e durò XV dì. Questa Nigra è della natura di Saturno, e per sua infruenzia si cria, secondo che dice Zael filosofo e strolago, e più altri maestri della detta scienzia, la quale significa pure male e morte di re e di potenti; e questo dimostrò assai tosto in più re e reali, come inanzi leggendo si troverà; e ingenerò grande mortalità ne' paesi ove il detto pianeto e segno signoreggiano; e bene il dimostrò inn-Oriente e nelle marine d'intorno, come dicemmo adietro. | How a comet appeared in the heavens. In August of that year (1347) the comet called Nigra appeared in the heavens in the sign of Taurus, at sixteen degrees in the head of the constellation and sign of Gorgon and stayed there for fifteen days. This Nigra is of the nature of Saturn, whose power creates it, according to Zael, philosopher and astrologer, and many other masters of this science. It is a sign of evil things - the deaths of kings and of potentates; this was soon revealed [by what happened to] many kings and royals - as one will find by reading ahead. It brought great mortality to the lands where the planet and the sign rule. And events in the Orient and on nearby shores, which we have recounted, demonstrate this well. | Giovanni Villani 1990, Vol. 3, p. 510. | None |
| 1348-00-00-Firenze | 1348 JL | The Black Death described from its presumed origins in India to Britain. For Florence, 60.000 victims are estimated. | 1348. Lugubris et miseranda pestis pene per orbem, que in Asia apud Indos incipiens passimque provincias irrepens trium annorum spatio usque Britannos ubique terrarum in omnes gentes deseviit. Et hoc anno amplius sexaginta hominum milia Florentie et intra urbem absumpsit, et per agrum cuncta prope deserata reliquit. | 1348. A mournful and pitiable plague almost throughout the world, which, beginning in Asia among the Indians, and creeping everywhere through the provinces, raged for the space of three years until it reached the Britons, devastating all peoples everywhere on earth. And in this year, it consumed more than sixty thousand people in Florence, both within and outside the city, leaving almost all the countryside deserted. | Annales florentini 1868, p. 679 | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1348-00-00-Florence | 1348 JL | In this long plague treatise-like passage, the author describes the Black Death in Florence with its symptoms, death toll and consequences. He describes how to behave in order to avoid the disease and be better prepared, although it is not possible to avoid it with certainty. He also advises people to flee infected areas early and to listen to the doctors' instructions. | Negli anni di Cristo 1348 fu nella città di Firenze una grande mortalità di persone umane le quali morivano di male pestilenziale; e molti gran fatti se n’ode dire dalle persone antiche e assai se ne truova iscritti; e fra gli altri ne (p. 230) scrive assai chopiosamente messer / (c. 65v) Giovanni Bochacci inn u·llibro che fecie di ciento novelle, ed è nel prencipio del libro. Di prima chominciò lavgiente a morire di cierto enfiato che venia chon gran doglia e chon repente febre o nell’anguinaia o sotto le ditella o nella ghola, da piè dell’orechie; e viveano quatro o sei dì. Di poi grebbe, e morivano in due dì o meno; e inn utimo e’ si venne tanto a spargiere questo veleno, che si dimostrava in cierte bolle pichole ch’apariano nelle charni per qualunche luogho della persona: e queste erano più pericholose che l’enfiato e di meno rimedio. E di poi, più nel chuore della moria, aparivano a’ più pe·lle charni cierti rossori e lividori, e sputavano sanque od e’ gittavano pel naso o di sotto: e questo era pessimo sengnio e sanza rimedio. E, brieve, e’ chaschavano, e grandi e piccioli, da un dì a un altro: inn una ora si vedea ridere e mottegiare il brighante e nell’ora medesima il vedevi morire! E venne la chosa a tanto, che molti ne morivano pe·lla via e su pe·lle panche, chome abandonati, sanza aiuto o chonforto di persona: solo erano posti quivi perché fussono da’ vicini sotterrati per fuggire il puzo. E tale vi s’andava, che ssi vedea solo in chasa e abandonato, per avere qualche sochorso. Molti per farneticho andavano impazando pe·lla terra; molti se ne gittavano ne’ pozi, a tterra delle finestre e inn Arno; e tale s’uccideva per gran farneticho o per gran pena o dolore. Molti si morivano che non erano veduti e ’nfradiciavano su pe·lle letta; molti n’erano sotterrati che anchora erano vivi. Non si trovava chi gli servisse né chi gli sotterrasse; e più, che se ttu avessi voluto un testimone a un testamento, tu non llo potevi avere, o se pure ne trovavi niuno, e’ voleva sei o otto fiorini. Aresti veduto iª crocie ire per un chorpo, averne dietro tre o quatro prima giungniesse alla chiesa: assai n’erano posti la notte alle reggi di fuori della chiesa e nella via n’erano gittati assai. Molte chose maravigliose si vidono: assai, per vicitare uno infermo, per ghovernallo o ttocharlo, o llui o suoi panni, di fatto chaschare morti. E fra ll’altre chose, dicie messere Giovanni Bochacci che vide due porci grufolare e stracciare cierti pannicielli d’un povero uomo morto, rimasi nella via: di fatto i detti porci chascharono morti su que’ cienci istracciati da lloro. O vedi di quanto pericholo e di quanto rischio questo male pestilenziale è: non si può troppo guardare. Ora, chome voi avete in parte veduto e potuto chonprendere, la moria fu innistimabile, e diciesi, e chosì fu di cierto, che nella nostra città morirono i due terzi delle persone; ché era istimato / (c. 66r) che in Firenze avesse in quel tenpo CXX mila anime, che nne morirono, cioè de’ chorpi, ottantamila. Pensate se fu frachasso! Non è da prenderne gran maraviglia perché questo fusse, ché molte chagioni ci furono da inciendere il malore; e fu maggiore maraviglia, chi chonsiderasse bene ogni chosa, di que’ che chanparono che di que’ che morirono. E lle chagioni furono in parte queste, cioè: in Firenze non si chonoscieva, diciamo pe·lla chomunità, questo male, perché a gran tenpo non era apparito; era Firenze molto ripiena di giente e di più quantità ch’ella fusse mai; l’anno dinanzi era suto in Firenze gran fame, e credo non era nel centinaio venti che avessono pane o biada alchuna, e quelli chotanti n’avevono pocho: (p. 231) vivettesi d’erbe e di barbe d’erbe e di chattive, non lle chonoscieresti oggi, e beevano acqua, e tutto il chontado era pieno di persone che andavano pasciendo l’erbe chome le bestie. Chonsidera chome i loro chorpi erano disposti! Apresso, chom’è detto, e’ non aveano arghomento né riparo niuno; e fu la chosa sì grande e ssì aspra, che ll’uno non poteva atare l’altro di nulla, e per queste chagioni e’ si morirono sanza rimedio. Oggi è avvenuto, per esenpro di questa e di molte altre che spesso sono di poi istate, che ci s’è preso assai ripari, non però che gran danno non faccia; ma pure credo che assai ne chanpano per virtù de’ rimedi, ché dichono e medici che lle reghole ch’essi danno per rimedio di questo veleno è uno armarsi alla difesa. Non è però che uno che sia molto bene armato non possa essere morto, ché gli fia dato d’una lancia o d’una ghiera o d’una bonbarda o prieta che ll’ucciderà; chosì potrà avenire al buon uomo, che fia provveduto contro alla pestilenza, e gli giungnierà una nebbia o un puzo di chorruzione o un fiato d’altro malato che fia più forte di lui e ucciderallo pure. Ma che è? Egli è assai chiaro che a una zuffa mortale à gran vantaggio chi è bene armato, e meno ne muoiono che de’ disarmati; e però vo’ dire che’ rimedi sono buoni. Vuolsi avere chonsiglio chon valenti medici e pigliare per iscritto loro chonsiglio o loro riciette, e quelle osservare diligientemente e non se ne fare punto beffe. Da mme voglio abbi questo chotanto chonsiglio. Tu udirai dinanzi che lla mortalità sia nella città di Firenze un anno o due, perché prima offende la Romangnia o lla Lonbardia che lla città nostra, e quasi per uso l’anno vengniente ell’è in Firenze; o almeno il verno dinanzi tu nne sentirai qualche isprazo o nel contado o nelle pendici della terra, il perché chiaro si prosu/me (c. 66v) la mortalità dovere essere in Firenze. E sappi che di febraio ella comincia a ffarsi sentire dentro, e chosì va crescendo tutto lulglio; e da mezo luglio in llà ed ella s’apicha alle persone da bene e a quelli che sono vivuti regholati, e chomincia a morire meno giente, ma de’ migliori. E quest’è perché il veleno è tanto isparto e tanto t’à chonbattuto, che t’à rotte l’armi e passato dentro; e per la dura della battaglia e’ ti viene a strachare e a pocho a pocho a chorronperti, e ’nfine e’ t’abbatte. E però piglia questo riparo. Chomincia il verno dinanzi a ghovernare te e la tua famiglia tutta per questa via. Prima, fa di quardarti dall’umido quantunche ttu puoi e non patire punto il freddo. Apresso, usa il fuocho ongni mattina prima escha fuori e piglia qualche chosa sechondo lo stomacho che ài: o un pocho di pane e un mezo bichiere di buon vino o di malvagia, o una pillola apropiata a cciò, o un pocho d’utriacha quando fusse piove o umidori, de’ quindici dì due o tre mattine a llato, sul dì, e prima ti levi e dormi un pocho poi; e non mangiare nulla da ivi a ore cinque. Se tti venisse beuto o volessi bere un mezo bichiere di malvagia sarebbe buono, ma non altri vini grossi; o sse avessi lo stomacho debole o frigido, piglia degli otto dì una volta a tai tenpacci una barba di gengiovo (p. 232) in chonservo e bei un mezo bichiere di malvagia, e sta di poi cinque ore che ttu non mangi altro. O ttu piglia un gherofano o un pocho di ciennamo o uno ghughiaio di tregiea o quatro derrate di zafferano o due o tre noci chotte e due o tre fichi sanza pane o qualche chosetta, sechondo che sse’ chonsigliato. E quello vedessi ti faciesse noia lascialo istare; e se llo stomacho istà meglio digiuno, non gli dare impaccio. Non uscire fuori troppo avaccio: quand’è nebbia e piova istatti al fuocho. Desina all’ora chonpitente, mangia buone chose e non troppo; levati chon buono apitito, quarti dalle frutte e da’ funghi, non ne mangiare, o pocho e di rado. Esercita la persona, ma non chon faticha, che ttu non sudi e non n’abbi ’ansare o a sciorinarti de’ panni; quarti dal chiavare e dalle femine, non ti impacciare chon niuna in quell’anno. Non mangiare e non bere se non n’ài voglia; e quando avessi in sullo stomacho, lascialo prima digiestire e di poi ista un’ora prima mangi o bei. quarti dalla ciena, pocho mangia e buone cose; non mangiare porcho in niuno modo; usa, se ài buono istomacho, l’acieto e ll’agresto, ma non tanto ti desse noia a smaltire. Fa di stare sobrio del chorpo e che ttu escha il dì due volte il meno: se fussi istiticho e duro del chorpo, fatti uno arghomento degli otto dì o de’ quindici dì. / (c. 67r) Non ti raviluppare troppo nel dormire, levati al levare del sole. E ’n questa forma passa il verno. E tenendo questo o migliore istile, tu verrai a purghare lo stomacho overo il chorpo tutto, per modo che lla churrezione dell’aria non troverrà materia d’apicharsi. Alla primavera o veramente di marzo tu sentirai dove è buono fuggire. Aspetta che de’ tuoi cittadini si muovano: non volere essere de’ primi, ma, partitone quatro o sei piglia partito e va dove ne vanno i più e in sì fatta città che pel tuo danaio tu truovi ciò che bisongnia alla santà del corpo. Non essere isciocho, o per masserizia o per niuna chagione, di rinchiuderti in chastella o in ville o in lluoghi che non vi sia e medici buoni e medicine che nne interviene che l’amicho si muore e spende nella fine due tanti che gli altri ed essene fatto beffe, sanza il dolore e i·rripitio dell’animo che mai te ne puoi dare pacie. Non sono tempi da masserizia, ma da trarre il danaio d’ongni luogho che ttu puoi; e spendi larghamente nelle chose che bisongnia, sanza niuna masserizia che ssia però che non si guadangniano se non per ispenderli per chanpare o vuoi per vivere e per onore, o nelle brighe o in simili casi. E però ti chonforto del fuggire presto e quest’è il più sichuro ischanpo ci sia. Fa d’avere de’ denari: e non giuchare, ché potresti rimanere sulle secche, e a que’ tenpi se ne truovano molto pochi che te ne prestassono per molti rispetti. Sì che sia savio: provediti tanto dinanzi rauni treciento fiorini il meno, e non ne tocchare mai niuno se non abbisogni e non dire che ttu gli abbia, ché ti sarebbono chiesti. E togli chasa agiata pe·lla tua famiglia, e non punto istretta, ma chamere d’avanzo. E nella istate usa chose fresche: buoni vini e picholi, de’ polli e de’ chavretti e de’ ventri o peducci di chastrone choll’acieto o llattugha, o de’ ghanberi, se nne puoi avere. Istatti il dì di meriggio al frescho: non dormire se puoi farlo, o ttu dormi chosì a sedere. Usa d’un lattovaro che fanno fare i medici di ribarbero, danne a’ fanciulli ché uccide i (p. 233) vermini. Mangia alchuna volta la mattina un’oncia di chassia, chosì ne’ bucciuoli, e danne a’ fanciulli: fa d’averne in chasa e frescha e del zuchero e dell’acquarosa e del giulebbo. Se ài sete il dì bei di quello rinfreschati i polsi, le tenpie e al naso choll’acieto ben forte. None istare dove sia molta giente e spezialmente in luogho rinchiuso chome in loggie o in chiese o in simili luoghi. Chon chi venisse dell’aria chorrotta o che avesse infermi in chasa o fusse morto di sua giente, non istare / (c. 67v) cho·llui se none il meno che ttu puoi, non dimostrando ischifarlo per modo s’aveggha, acciò non isdengniasse o non pigliasse ischonforto. Fuggi quanto puoi maninchonia o pensiero: usa dove si faccia chose da diletto e dove tu possa pigliare ispasso chon piacere e chon allegreza, e non pensare punto di chosa ti dia dolore o chattivo pensiero. Chome ti venisse, fuggilo, o in pensare ad altro o dove si ragioni di darsi piaciere o dove si faccia alchuna chosa che tti piaccia o ttu giuocha, quando tai chasi t’avenissono, e di pochi danari per volta: non passare di perdere uno fiorino; e se llo perdi, lascialo andare sanza pensarvi e non volere per quel dì rischuoterti, ché potresti, dove vuoi fuggire pensiero e dolore, andarlo cierchando. Se ài chavallo, vatti a ssollazo e per la terra e di fuori la mattina pe·llo frescho e lla sera. Istà chasto il più che ttu puoi. Fuggi ongni chosa putidra e ll’aria ivi apresso, non vi istare tieni in diletto e in piaciere la tua famiglia e fa cho·lloro insieme buona e sana vita, vivendo sanza pensiero di fare per allora masserizia, ché assai s’avanza a stare sano e fuggire la morte. Al presente non iscriverrò più avanti sopra la detta materia, perché nel vero i medici fidati e che chonoschono la tua natura sarebbono quelli che meglio t’amaestrerrebbono di tale provedimento; e però, chom’è detto, il chonsiglio si vuole avere da lloro, nonistante che lle sopra iscritte chose sieno utili e buone a oservalle ne’ detti tenpi. | In the year of Christ 1348 there was a great mortality in the city of Florence among the people who died of a pestilential disease. Many stories about it are told by old people, and many are written down; and among others, Giovanni Boccaccio tells about it in detail in a book of a hundred novellas, and it is at the beginning of the book. At first people began to die of a swelling, accompanied with great pain and sudden fever, either in the groin, under the armpits, or in the neck, below the ears; they lived four or six days. Afterwards the disease grew worse, and they died in two days or less; finally this poison spread so far that it showed itself in certain small bumps which appeared on the skin anywhere on the body: and these were more dangerous than the swellings and more difficult to treat. Later, in the heart of the epidemic, certain redness and bruises appeared on the skin of many people, and they spat blood or bled from the nose or underneath: and this was a very bad sign and without cure. In short, they fell, big and small, from one day to the next: one hour you would see someone laughing and joking and the next hour you would see him die! It got to the point that many died in the streets and on the benches, like abandoned people, without help or consolation from anyone: they were only left there to be buried by the neighbours to avoid the smell. And it happened that people left, because they were alone and abandoned at home, to get some kind of help. Many wandered madly through the country because of delirium; many threw themselves into wells, from windows and into the Arno; and some killed themselves because of great delirium or great pain or suffering. Many died without being seen, rotting in their beds; many were buried even though they were still alive. There was no one to serve them or bury them; and what is more, if you needed a witness for a will, you could not get one, or he asked for six or eight florins. Crosses were seen brought for a body, and three or four followed it before it reached the church: many were deposited at night on the lattices outside the church, and many were thrown away in the street. Many marvellous things were seen: many who visited, nursed or touched a sick person, either him or his clothes, fell down dead. Among others, Giovanni Boccaccio relates that he saw two swine rooting and tearing certain rags of a dead poor man who had remained in the street: and immediately the said swine fell down dead on the rags they had torn. Oh, see how dangerous and risky this pestilential disease is: one cannot protect oneself enough. Now, as you have partly seen and understood, the mortality was immeasurable, and it is said, and so it certainly was, that in our city two-thirds of the people died; for it was estimated that there were 120,000 souls in Florence at that time, of whom 80,000 died. Think what an uproar that was! It is not very surprising that this happened, for there were many causes which increased the evil; and it is more surprising, when all is well considered, how many survived than how many died. The reasons were partly these: in Florence this disease, let us say for the community, was not known, as it had not appeared for a long time; Florence was very populous, more so than ever; the year before there was great famine in Florence, and I believe there were not a hundred people that had bread or corn, and those that had had little: they lived on herbs and roots and bad things that would not be recognised to-day, and they drank water, and all the surrounding country was full of people eating herbs like beasts. Think about what state their bodies were in! In addition, as I said, they had no remedies or defences; and the evil was so great and so violent that they could not help each other in anything, and for these reasons they died without remedy. Now it is so, in consequence of these and many others that have often taken place afterwards, that many precautions have been taken, not that it no longer does much harm; but still I believe that many survive by the power of the remedies, for the doctors say that the rules they give to ward off this poison are a kind of defence. This does not mean that one who is very well armed cannot die, for he may be struck by a spear thrust or a bullet or a stone that kills him; so it may happen to the good man who has taken precautions against the plague that a mist or a stench of putrefaction or a breath of another sick person stronger than himself may strike him and still kill him. But what is that? It is clear that in a mortal fight he who is well armed has a great advantage, and dies less than the unarmed; therefore I would say that the remedies are good. One should seek advice from good doctors and get their advice or prescriptions in writing and follow them conscientiously and not make fun of them. I would like you to take this advice to heart. You will hear that mortality lasts a year or two in the city of Florence, because it first strikes Romagna or Lombardy before it reaches our city, and almost always the following year it is in Florence; or at least in the winter before you will hear a whiff of it, either in the surrounding countryside or in the suburbs, so it is clear that mortality will come to Florence. And know that it begins to make itself felt in February, and so it grows into July; and from the middle of July it affects the wealthy people and those who have lived well, and fewer people die, but of the best. This is because the poison has spread so widely and has affected you so badly that it has broken through the armour and got inside; and because of the hardness of the battle it will tire you out and gradually wear you down, and finally it will strike you down. Therefore, take these precautions. In winter, begin to protect yourselves and your whole family in this way. First, beware of dampness as much as possible and do not endure cold. Then use fire every morning before you go out, and take something according to your stomach: a little bread and half a glass of good wine or malmsey, or a suitable pill, or a little theriac, if it is raining or damp, two or three mornings of fifteen days, during the day and before you get up, and then sleep a little; and eat nothing till five hours later. If you are thirsty or wish to drink half a glass of malmsey, that would be good, but no other strong wines; or if you have a weak or cold stomach, once in eight days at such times take a pickled ginger root and drink half a glass of malmsey, and then eat nothing else for five hours. Or take a clove leaf or a little cinnamon or a spoonful of trigonella or four grains of saffron or two or three boiled nuts and two or three figs without bread or anything else, as you are advised. And if you realise that it is not good for you, leave it alone; and if it is better for the stomach to remain sober, do not strain it. Don't go out too early: stay by the fire in fog and rain. Eat at the proper time, eat good things and not too much; get up with a good appetite, avoid fruit and mushrooms, do not eat them, or eat only a little and rarely. Exercise, but not strenuously, so that you do not sweat and do not feel the need to dry your clothes; avoid sexual intercourse and women, do not mix with them this year. Do not eat or drink if you do not feel like it; and if you have something in your stomach, let it digest first and then wait an hour before eating or drinking. Eat little and good things in the evening; do not eat pork in any way; if you have a good stomach, use vinegar and verjuice, but not so much that it gives you difficulty in digesting. Keep your body light, and see that you get out twice a day: If you are constipated and hard in body, take a treatment of eight or fifteen days. (c. 67r) Don't get too entangled in sleep, get up at sunrise. In this way spend the winter. And if you keep up this or a better style, you will so cleanse your stomach or your whole body that the bad air will find no clue. In spring, or really in March, you will realise where you should flee to. Wait till your fellow-citizens move: do not be the first, but after four or six have gone, go where most go, and to such a town where you will find for your money all that is necessary for the health of the body. Do not be foolish, either for miserliness or for any other reason, to shut yourself up in castles or villages or places where there are no good doctors and medicines, for it happens that the friend dies and ends up spending twice as much as the others and is laughed at, without the pain and trembling of the soul that never leaves you in peace. These are not times for miserliness, but to get money from wherever you can; and spend generously on what is necessary, without miserliness, for it is only earned to spend on survival or on life and honour, or on difficulties or similar cases. Therefore, I encourage you to escape early, and that is the safest escape there is. Make sure you have money: Don't gamble, because you could lose it all, and at these times there are very few who would lend it to you for many reasons. So be wise: Take care in advance to collect at least three hundred florins, and do not touch them unless it is necessary, and do not say that you have them, for they would be demanded of you. And take a spacious house for your family, not too cramped, but with extra rooms. And in summer use fresh things: good wine and small, chickens and goatlings, and the bellies or feet of mutton with vinegar or lettuce, or crabs if you can get them. Keep cool at midday: do not sleep if you can avoid it, or sleep sitting up. Use a lotion that doctors make with rhubarb, give it to children as it kills worms. Eat an ounce of cassia sometimes in the morning, in the buds, and give it to the children: keep it fresh in the house together with sugar and rose-water and syrup. If you are thirsty during the day, cool your wrists, temples and nose with strong vinegar. Do not stay in places with many people, especially in closed rooms such as loggias or churches or similar places. Do not stay with someone who comes from a contaminated area or has sick people in the house or whose relatives have died, as little as possible without showing it, so as not to offend or discourage them. Flee as much as you can from melancholy or sorrow: Stay in places where you can find joy and entertainment, and don't think about things that cause you pain or bad thoughts. When they come, flee from them by thinking of something else or by staying in places where there is pleasure or where people do things you like or where you can play, but only with little money: do not lose more than a florin; and if you lose it, let it go without thinking about it and do not try to recover that day, because where you want to flee sorrow and pain, you go in search of it. If you have a horse, go out in the morning and evening for pleasure. Be as chaste as possible. Flee from everything foul and the air in the neighbourhood, do not stay there. Keep your family in joy and contentment and lead a good and healthy life together, without thinking of miserliness, for it is enough to stay healthy and avoid death. I will not write further on this subject for now, because in truth, trustworthy doctors who know your nature are the ones who can give you the best advice; therefore, as I said, advice should be sought from them, although the things mentioned above are useful and good to observe in the times mentioned. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, pp. 229-233 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1348-00-00-Florence 001 | May 1348 JL | Great mortality in Florence with a mortality rate of more than 60%. | In detto tempo una grandissima morìa fu in Firenze, che si stima morisse in detta pestilenzia più di 60 per cento, ch'è una scurità. | In this time (1349) was a large dying in Florence, it is estimated that more than 60 per cent died in this plague, what is an uncertainity. | Filippo di Cino Rinuccini: Ricordi storici 1840, p. 325 | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1348-00-00-Florence 002 | 1348 JL | Fruosino was a good and new man and he died before the plague and his son Niccolò, who was a bad lad, died with all his sisters during the plague. | Il detto Fruosino ebbe poco, però che fu maltrattato e io gli vidi tondere i boldroni; e anche, come potea uncicare il danaio, il prestava. Fu grosso e nuovo uomo, e ebbe una moglie che fu nuova donna; ebbe due figliuoli maschi, e più femmine; Zanobi, e Niccolò vocato Bicocco, Morì innanzi a la mortalità del 1348, d'età di bene LXX anni; e Niccolò morì nella detta mortalità, e fu mercè, ch'era uno pessimo garzone, e avrebbe condotto altrui agevolemente a mali termini, e egli fatto mala fine. Le femmine anche tutte morirono; | The said Fruosino had little, because he was badly treated, and I saw him make the beds; and also, if he could scrape together a farthing, he lent it. He was a great and new man, and had a wife who was a new woman. He had two sons and several daughters; Zanobi, and Niccolò, called Bicocco. He died before the plague in 1348 at the age of a good seventy; and Niccolò died during that plague, it was mercy because he was a bad lad and could easily have got others into trouble, and he came to a bad end. All the daughters died too. | Donato Velluti: Cronica domestica 1914, p. 71 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1348-00-00-Florence 003 | 1348 JL | The woman Monna Bice survived by God's grace the Black Death which only one in a hundred managed to do. | Della detta monna Bice ebbi più figliuoli, maschi e femmine, che vennono a bene, e di que' che nel partorire non vennono a bene, (p. 292) sconciandosi anche in alcuno; ebbe grandissima infermità per la mortalità del 1348, e campò di quello che non ne campò una nel centinaio. Fu grazia di Dio e in iscampo di me, chè di certo ò per opinione, che s' ella fosse morta, io non sarei scampato, per gli accidenti m' avvennono, che che di quella infermità io non sentissi. | I had several children of the aforementioned Monna Bice, both male and female, who came out well, and of those who were not well at birth, some were mutilated. She had a very serious illness during the plague in 1348 and survived, which only one in a hundred managed to do. It was God's grace and my luck, because I'm sure I wouldn't have survived if she had died, because of the things that happened to me, even though I didn't feel anything from that illness. | Donato Velluti: Cronica domestica 1914, pp. 291-292 | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1348-00-00-Florence 004 | 1348 JL | Plague raged in Florence and surroundings and more than 70 thousand people died alone inside the city. | Proximo dehinc anno pestis iampridem ingressa urbem ita desaevivit, ut supra fidem videatur eius stragem referre. Sexaginta amplius hominum millia defuncta morbo intra urbem constat, et insignes viros, quorum consilio respublica nitebatur, ferme omnes sublatos. In agro autem exinanita cuncta ac paene deserta. Ob eam calamitatem, nihil publice geri eo anno potuit. Tantum adversus latrones, qui per Apennini iugum itinera infestabant, copiae quaedam missae. | By the next year, the plague had long since entered the city and ravaged it to such an extent that the tale of its slaughter seems beyond belief. It is evident that more than 70,000 people inside the city died of the disease, and nearly all the distinguished men on whom the city relied were wiped out. The countryside was entirely emptied out and practically deserted. Thanks to this calamity, no public business could be conducted this year. The only action was to send some troops out against robbers infesting the roads that crossed the Apennine passes. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 2, p. 314. | None |
| 1348-00-00-Florence 005 | 1348 JL | During the plague, the society of Orto San Michele became very rich, because people willingly left their money and wealth to the society. With these riches they helped many poor people, but with time greedy people tried to use the money for their own benefit. | Come alla compagnia d'Orto Sa Michele fu lasciato gran tesoro. Nella nostra città di Firenze, l’anno della detta mortalità, avenne mirabile cosa: che venendo a morte li uomini, per la fede che i cittadini di Firenze avieno a l'ordine e alla sperienza che veduta era della chiara, e buona e ordinata limosina che s'era fatta lungo tempo, e facea per li capitani della compagnia di madonna santa Maria d’Orto Sa Michele, sanza alcuno umano procaccio, si trovò per testamenti fatti (i quali testamenti nella mortalità, e poco apresso, si poterono trovare e avere) che’ cittadini di Firenze lasciarono a stribuire a’ poveri per li capitani di quella compagnia più di CCCLM di fiorini d’oro. Che vedendosi (p. 20) la gente morire, e morire i loro figliuoli e i loro congiunti, ordinavano i testamenti, e chi avea reda che vivesse, legava la reda, se lla reda morisse, volea la detta compagnia fosse reda; e molti che non avieno alcuna reda, per divozione dell’usata e santa limosina che questa compagnia solea fare, acciò che 'l suo si stribuisse a’ poveri com'era usato, lasciavano di ciò ch’avieno reda la detta compagnia; e molti altri novolendo che per successione il suo venisse a' suoi congiunti, o a’ suoi consorti, legavano alla detta compagnia tutti i loro beni. Per questa cagione, ristata la mortalità in Firenze, si trovò improviso quella compagnia in sì grande tesoro, sanza quello che ancora no potea sapere. E i mendichi poveri erano quasi tutti morti, e ogni feminella era piena e abondevole delle cose, sicché non cercavano limosina. Sentendosi questo fatto per cittadini, procacciarono molti con sollicitudine d’essere capitani per potere aministrare (p. 21) questo tesoro, e cominciarono a ragunare le masserizie e i danari; ch'avendo a vendere le masserizie nobili de'grandi cittadini e mercatanti, tutte le migliori e lle più belle volieno per loro a grande mercato, e l'altre più vili facieno vendere in plubico, e i danari cominciarono a serbare, e chi ne tenea una parte, e chi un'altra a lloro utilità. […] | A great treasure was left to the society of Orto San Michele. In our city of Florence, during the year of this deadly plague, something remarkable happened: as people were dying, the citizens of Florence, trusting in the order and experience demonstrated by the clear, good, and organized charity that had been practiced for a long time by the captains of the society of Our Lady of Orto San Michele—without any human intervention—left, according to wills (that could be found during the plague and shortly thereafter) more than 350,000 gold florins to be distributed to the poor by the captains of this society. People, seeing their children and relatives dying, arranged their wills, and those who had heirs who survived would pass on their inheritance; if the heirs died, they wanted the society to be their heir. And many who had no heirs, out of devotion to the customary and holy charity that this society used to perform, left what they had as inheritance to this society so that it could be distributed to the poor as was customary. And many others, not wanting their wealth to go to their relatives or associates through succession, bequeathed all their possessions to this society. For this reason, once the plague ceased in Florence, it was found that the society unexpectedly held a great treasure, aside from what could not yet be accounted for. And the poor beggars were almost all dead, and every household was full and abundant with supplies, so much so that they did not seek alms. When the citizens heard about this situation, many eagerly sought to become captains to be able to manage this treasure. They began gathering the goods and money; when they had to sell the valuable possessions of prominent citizens and merchants, they would take the best and finest for themselves at a good price, while the lesser items were sold publicly, and the money was kept by those who held parts of it, each for their own benefit. [...] | Matteo Villani 1995, pp. 19-21. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5 |
| 1348-03-00-Firenze | March 1348 JL | Arrival of the Black Death in Florence: a most detailed description of all its impacts and consequences | Negli anni del Signore MCCXLVIII fu nella città di Firenze e nel contado grandissima pistilenzia, e fu di tale furore e di tanta tempesta, che nella casa dove s'appigliava chiunque servìa niuno malato, tutti quelli che lo' serviano, moriano di quel medesimo male, e quasi niuno passava lo quarto giorno, e non valeva nè medico, nè medicina, o che non fossero ancora conosciute quelle malattie, o che li medici non avessero sopra quelle mai studiato, non parea che rimedio vi fosse. Fu di tanta paura che niuno non sapea che si fare; quando s'appigliava in alcuna casa, spesso avvenia che non vi rimanea persona che non morisse. E non bastava solo gli uomini e le femmine, ma ancora gli animali sensitivi, cani e gatte, polli, buoi, asini e pecore moriano di quella malattia e con quel segno, e quasi niuno, a cui venà lo segno, o pochi, veniano a guarigione. Lo segno era questo, che, o tra la coscia e'l corpo al modo (nodo?) d'anguinaia, o sotto lo ditello apparia un grossetto, e la febbre a un tratto, e quando sputava, sputava sangue mescolato colla saliva, e quegli che sputava sangue niuno campava. Fu questa cosa di tanto spavento, che veggendo appiccarla in una casa, ove cominciava, come detto è, non vi rimanea niuno; le genti spaventate abbondanavano la casa, e fuggivano in un' altra; e chi nella città, e chi si fuggia in villa. Medici non si trovavano, perocchè moriano come gli altri; quelli che si trovavano, voleano smisurato prezzo in mano innanzi che intrassero nella casa, ed entratovi, tocavono il polso col viso volo adrieto, e' da lungi volevono vedere l'urina con cose odorifere al naso. Lo figluolo abbandonava il padre, lo marito la moglie, la moglie il marito, l'uno fratello l'altro, l'una sirocchia l'altra. Tutta la città non avea a fare altro che a portare morti a sepellire; mollti ne morirono, che non ebbono all lor fine nè confessione ed altri sacramenti; e moltissimi morirono che non fu chi li vedesse, e molti ne morirono di fame, imperocchè come uno si ponea in sul letto malato, quelli di casa sbigottiti gli diceano: “Io vo per lo medico” e serravano pianamente l'uscio da via, e non vi tornavano più. Costui abbandonato dalle persone e poi da cibo, ed accompagnato dalla febbre si venia meno. Molti erano, che sollicitavano li loro che non li abbandonassero, quando venia alla sera; e' diceano all'ammalato: “Acciocchè la notte tu non abbi per ogni cosa a destare chi ti serve, e dura fatica lo dì e la notte, totti tu stesso de' confetti e del vino o acqua, eccola qui in sullo soglio della lettiera (p. 231) sopra 'l capo tuo, e po' torre della roba”. E quando s'addormentava l'ammalato, se n'andava via, e non tornava. Se per sua ventura si trovava la notte confortato di questo cibo la mattina vivo e forte da farsi a finestra, stava mezz'ora innanzichè persona vi valicasse, se non era la via molto maestra, e quando pure alcun passava, ed egli avesse un poco di voce che gli fosse udito, chiamando, quando gli era risposto, non era soccorso. Imperocchè niuno, o pochi voleano intrare in casa, dove alcuno fosse malato, ma ancora non voelano ricettare di quelli, che sani uscissero della casa del malato, e diceano: "Egli è affatappiato, non gli parlate" dicendo: "E' l'ha perocchè in casa sua è il Gavocciolo; e chiamavano quelle inflato gavocciolo. Moltissimi morieno senza esser veduti, che stavano in sullo letto tanto che puzzavano. E la vicinanza, se v'era, sentito lo puzzo, mettevono per borsa, e lo mandavano a seppellire. Le case rimaneano aperte, e non er ardito persona di tocare nulla, che parea che le cose rimanessero avvelenate, che chi le usava gli s'appicava il male.Fecesi a ogni chiesa, o alle più, fosse infon all'acqua, larghe e cupe, secondo lo popolo era grande; e quivi chi non era molto ricco, la notte morto, quegli, a cui toccava, se lo metteva sopra la spalla, o gittavalo in questa fossa, o pagava gran prezzo a chi lo facesse. La mattina se ne trovavano assai nella fossa, toglievasi della terra, e gettavasi laggiuso loro addosso; e poi veniano gli altri sopr'essi, e poi la terra addosso a suolo, a suolo, con poca terra, come si ministrasse lasagne a fornire formaggio. Li' beccamorti, che facevano gli servigi, erono prezzolati di sì gran prezzo, che molti n'arrichirono, e molti ne morirono, chi ricco e chi con poco guadagno, ma gran prezzo avieno. Le serviziali, o o serviziali, che servieno li malati volieno da uno in tre fiorini per dì e le spese di cose fiorite. Le cose che mangiavano i malati, confetti e zucchero, smisuratamente valevano. Fu vendeuta di tre in otto fiorini la libbra di zucchero e al simile gli altri confetti. Li pollastri ed alti pollami a meraviglia carissimi, e l'uovo di prezzo di denari 12 in 24 l'uno; e beato chi ne trovava tre il dì con cercare tutta la città. La cera era miracolo; la libbra sarebba montata più di un fiorino, senonchè vi si puose freno alle grande burbanze, che sempre feciono gli Fiorentini, perocchè si diede ordine non si potesse portare più due doppieri. Le chiese non avieno più che una bara, com' è d'uso, non bastava. Li speziali e bechamorti avien prese bare, coltri e guanciali con grandissimo prezzo. Lo vestire di stamigna che si usava nei morti, che soleva costare una donna, gonella guarnacca e mantello e veli, fiorini tre, montò in pregio di fiorini trenta, e sarebbe ito in fiorini cento, se non che si levò di vestire della stamigna, e chi era ricco vestiva di panno, e chi non ricco in lenzoletto lo cucìa. Costava le panche, che si pongono i morti, uno sfolgoro, e ancora non bastava tutte le panche ch'erano il centesimo. Lo sonare delle campane non si potevano li preti contentare; di che si fece ordine tra per lo sbigottimento del sonare delle campane e per lo vender le panche e raffrenare le spese, che a niuno corpo si sonasse, nè si ponesse panche, nè si bandisse, perocchè l'udivano gli ammalati, sbigottivano li sani, nonchè i malati. Li preti e i frati andavano ai ricchi e in tanta moltitudine, ed erano sì pagati di tanto prezzo che tutti arrichieno. E però si fece ordine che non si potesse avere più che d'una regola e la chiesa del popolo, e per la regola sei frati e non più. Tutte le frutta nocive vietarono a entrare nella città, come susine acerbe, mandorle in erba, fave fresche, fichi ed ogni frutta [p. 232] non utile e non sana. Molte processioni ed orlique e la tavola di S. Maria Impruneta vennero andando per la città, gridando: "Misericordià", e facendo orazioni, e poi in sulla ringhiera dei Priori fermate. Vi si rendereno paci di gran questioni e di ferite e di morte d'uomini. Fu questa cosa di tanto sbigottimento e di tanta paura' che le genti si ragunavano in brigata a mangiare per pigliare qualche conforto; e dava l'uno la sera cena a dieci compagni, e l'altra sera davono ordine di mangiare con uno di quelli, e quando credevono cenare con quello, ed egli era senza cena, che quegli era malato, o quando era fatta la cena per dieci, vi se ne trovava meno due o tre. Chi si fuggìa in villa, chi nelle castella per mutare aria; ove non eralo portavono, se v'era lo crescevano. Niuna Arte si lavorava in Firenze: tutte le botteghe serrate, tutte le taverne chiuse, salvo speziali e chiese. Per la Terra andavi, che non trovavi persona; e molti buoni e ricchi uomini erano portati dalla casa a chiesa nella bara con quattro beccamortì et uno chiericuzzo che portava la croce, e poi volieno uno fiorino uno. Di questa mortalità arricchirono speziali, medici, pollaiuoli, beccamorti, trecche di malva, ortiche, marcorelle et altre erbe da impiastri per macerare malori. E fu più quelle che feciono queste trecche d'erbe, fu gran denaro. Lanaiuoli, e ritagliatori che si trovarono panni li vendeano ciò che chiedeono. Ristata la mortalità chi si trovò panni fatti d'ogni ragione n'aricchiì, o chi si trovò da poterne fare; ma molti se ne trovarono intignati' e guasti e perduti a' telai; e stame e lana in quantità perdute per la città e contado. Questa pistolenza cominciò di marzo, come detto è, e finì di settembre 1348. E le genti cominciavono a tornare e rivedersi le case e le masserizie. E fu tante le case pien di tutti li beni, che non avevono signore, ch'era un stupore, poi si cominciarono a vedere gli eredi dei beni. E tale che non aveva nulla si trovò ricco, che non pareva che fusse suo, ed a lui medesimo pareva gli si disdicesse. E cominciornon a sfogiare nei vestimenti e ne' cavagli e le donne e gli uomini | In the year of our lord 1348 there occurred in the city and contado of Florence a great pestilence, and such was its fury and violence that in whatever household it took hold, whosoever took care of the sick, all the carers died of the same illness, and almost nobody survived beyond the fourth day, neither doctors nor medicine proving of any avail, and there appeared to be no remedy, either because those illnesses were not yet recognised, or because doctors had never previously had cause to study them properly. Such was the fear that nobody knew what to do: when it caught hold in a household, it often happened that not a single person escaped death. And it wasn't just men and women: even sentient animals such as dogs and cats, hens, oxen, donkeys and sheep, died from that same disease and with those symptoms, and almost none who displayed those symptoms, or very few indeed, effected a recovery. Those symptoms were as follows: either between the thigh and the body, in the groin region, or under the armpit, there appeared a lump, and a sudden fever, and when the victim spat, he spat blood mixed with saliva, and none of those who spat blood survived. Such was the terror this caused that seeing it take hold in a household, as soon as it started, nobody remained: everybody abandoned the dwelling in fear, and fled to another; some fled into the city and others into the countryside. No doctors were to be found, because they were dying like everybody else; those who could be found wanted exorbitant fees cash-in-hand before entering the house, and having entered, they took the patient's pulse with their heads turned away, and assayed the urine samples from afar, with aromatic herbs held to their noses. Sons abandoned fathers, husbands wives, wives husbands, one brother the other, one sister the other. The city was reduced to bearing the dead to burial; many died who at their passing had neither confession nor last sacraments, and many died unseen, and many died of hunger, for when somebody took ill to his bed, the other occupants in panic told him: 'I'm going for the doctor'; and quietly locked the door from the outside and didn't come back. The victim, abandoned by both people and nourishment, yet kept constant company by fever, wasted away. Many were those who begged their families not to abandon them; when evening came, the relatives said to the patient: 'So that you don't have to wake up the people looking after you at night, asking for things, because this is going on day and night, you yourself can reach for cakes and wine or water, here they are on the shelf above your bed, you can get the stuff when you want'. And when the patient fell asleep, they went away and did not return. If, through good fortune the victim had been strengthened by that food, the next morning alive and still strong enough to get to the window, he would have to wait half an hour before anybody came past, if this was not a busy thoroughfare, and even when the odd person passed by, and the patient had enough voice to be heard a little, if he shouted, sometimes he would be answered and sometimes not, and even if he were to be answered, there was no help to be had. For not only none or very few wished to enter a house where there were any sick people, but they didn't even want to have contact with those who issued healthy from a sick person's house, saying: 'He's jinxed, don't speak to him', saying: 'He's got it because there's the "gavocciolo" [bubo] in his house'; and 'gavocciolo' was the name they gave to these swellings. Many died without being seen, remaining on their beds till they stank. And the neighbours, if any were left, having smelled the stench, did a whip round and sent him for burial. Houses remained open, nobody dared to touch anything, for it seemed that things remained poisoned, and whoever had anything to do with them caught the disease.
At every church, or at most of them, pits were dug, down to the water-table, as wide and deep as the parish was populous; and therein, whosoever was not very rich, having died during the night, would be shouldered by those whose duty it was, and would either be thrown into this pit, or they would pay big money for somebody else to do it for them. The next morning there would be very many in the pit. Earth would be taken and thrown down on them; and then others would come on top of them, and then earth on top again, in layers, with very little earth, like garnishing lasagne with cheese. The gravediggers who carried out these functions were so handsomely paid that many became rich and many died, some already rich and others having earned little, despite the high fees. The female and male sick-bay attendants demanded from one to three florins a day, plus sumptuous expenses. The foodstuffs suitable for the sick, cakes and sugar, reached outrageous prices. A pound of sugar was sold at between three and eight florins, and the same went for other confectionery. Chickens and other poultry were unbelievably expensive, and eggs were between 12 and 24 denari each: you were lucky to find three in a day, even searching through the whole city. Wax was unbelievable: a pound of wax rose to more than a florin, nevertheless an age-old arrogance of the Florentines was curbed, in that an order was given not to parade more than two large candles. The churches only had one bier apiece, as was the custom, and this was insufficient. Pharmacists and grave-diggers had obtained biers, hangings and laying-out pillows at great price. The shroud-cloth apparel which used to cost, for a woman, in terms of petticoat, outer garment, cloak and veils, three florins, rose in price to thirty florins, and would have risen to one hundred florins, except that they stopped using shroud-cloth, and whoever was rich was dressed with plain cloth, and those who weren't rich were sewn up in a sheet. The benches placed for the dead cost a ludicrous amount, and there weren't enough of them even if there had been a hundred times more. The priests couldn't get enough of ringing the bells: so an order was passed, what with the panic caused by the bells ringing and the sale of benches and the curbing of spending, that nobody should be allowed the death-knell, nor should benches be placed, nor should there be a public announcement by the crier, because the sick could hear them, and the healthy took fright as well as the sick. The priests and friars thronged to the rich, and were paid such great sums that they all enriched themselves. And so an ordinance was passed that only one rule (of religious houses) and the local church could be had, and from that rule a maximum of six friars. All harmful fruit, such as unripe plums, unripe almonds, fresh beans, figs and all other inessential unhealthy fruit, was forbidden from entering the city. Many processions and relics and the painting of Santa Maria Impruneta were paraded around the city, to cries of 'Mercy', and with prayers, coming to a halt at the rostrum of the Priori. There peace was made settling great disputes and questions of woundings and killings. Such was the panic this plague provoked that people met for meals as a brigata to cheer themselves up; one person would offer a dinner to ten friends, and the next evening it would be the turn of one of the others to offer the dinner, and sometimes they thought they were going to dine with him, and he had no dinner ready, because he was ill, and sometimes the dinner had been prepared for ten and two or three less turned up. Some fled to the country, and some to provincial towns, to get a change of air; where there was no plague they brought it, and where it already existed they added to it. No industry was busy in Florence; all the workshops were locked up, all the inns were closed, only chemists and churches were open. Wherever you went, you could find almost nobody; many rich good men were borne from their house to church in their coffin with just four undertakers and a lowly cleric carrying the cross, and even then they demanded a florin apiece. Those who especially profited from the plague were the chemists, the doctors, the poulterers, the undertakers, and the women who sold mallow, nettles, mercury plant and other poultice herbs for drawing abscesses. And those who made the most were these herb sellers. Woollen merchants and retailers when they came across cloth could sell it for whatever price they asked. Once the plague had finished, anybody who could get hold of whatsoever kind of cloth, or found the raw materials to make it, became rich; but many ended up moth-eaten, spoilt and useless for the looms, and thread and raw wool lost in the city and the contado. This plague began in March as has been said, and finished in September 1348. And people began to return to their homes and belongings. And such was the number of houses full of goods that had no owner, that it was amazing. Then the heirs to this wealth began to turn up. And someone who had previously had nothing suddenly found himself rich, and couldn't believe it was all his, and even felt himself it wasn't quite right. And both men and women began to show off with clothes and horses. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, pp. 230-232 | None |
| 1348-03-00-Firenze2 | March 1348 JL | 96.000 casualties in Florence because of the Black Death | La quantità di morti che morirono per la mortalità degli anni di Cristo 1348. Ora fatto ordine in Firenze per lo vescovo e per gli Signori che si vedesse solennemente quanti ne moriva nella città di Firenze, ultimamente veduto in calendi ottobre che di quella pistilenzia non morìa più persone, si trovarono tra maschi e femine, piccoli e grandi, dal marzo infine all'ottobre v'era morti novantaseimila. | The quantity of people who died during the plague outbreak of the year of our lord 1348. The bishop and the signoria in Florence having ordered a careful count of how many were dying of plague in the city of Florence, and seeing finally at the beginning of October that nobody was dying of that pestilence any more, it was discovered that putting together men and women, children and adults, from March to October, ninety-six thousand had died. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 232 | None |
| 1348-06-00-Padua | June 1348 JL | Spread of the Black Death in Tuscany and Padua, which lasted 6 months | Tempore huius pestis dominus Guerra comes Sancti Bonifacii, potestas in Senis, obiit quasi cum tota sua familia, ub etiam, Florentie et Pisis et per totam Tusciam fuit mortalitas abhorrenda. Hec pestis durabat sex mensibus communiter a sui principio in qualibet regione. Nobilis vir Andreas Moresinus, potestas Padue, in tertio suo regimine expiravit, mense Junii. Huic in regimine filius substitutus statim obiit. Audi tamen mirabile, quod tempore hujus cladis non obiit rex, princeps, nec dominus civitatis. | During this plague (1348), Lord Guerra, Count of San Bonifacio, the Podestà in Siena, died along with almost his entire household. Also, in Florence, Pisa, and throughout all of Tuscany, there was a dreadful mortality. This plague generally lasted six months from its onset in each region. The noble man Andrea Moresini, the Podestà of Padua, died in his third term of office in the month of June. His son, who succeeded him in office, immediately died. However, hear something remarkable: during this calamity, no king, prince, or lord of a city died. | Guillelmus de Cortusiis, p. 121 | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1349-00-00-Florence | 1349 JL | After the plague the citizens in Florence were still in shock and listless. But peoples of Colle Val d'Elsa and San Gimignano returned to power and castles of the Ubaldini were taken. | Sequenti etiam anno parum aut nihil gestum, consternata adhuc civitate superiori pestilentia. Collenses tantum et Geminianenses domesticis seditionibus laborantes in potestatem florentini populi redierunt. Et circa Apenninum aliquot castella de Ubaldinis capta, quibus latrocinia exercebantur. | In the following year, too, little or nothing was done, as the city was still in shock from the plague. The peoples of Colle Val d’Elsa and San Gimignano, wracked by domestic turmoils, returned to the power of the Florentine People. And in the Apennines several castles of the Ubaldini were taken which had been centers of brigandage. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 2, p. 314. | None |
| 1355-00-00-Florence | 1355 JL | In Florence dry and beautiful until mid-April, then much rain, from June very dry until mid-October. Then much precipitation with loss of a third of the seed grain. In summer, many infections and febrile diseases [rabies outbreak in Calabria?], total loss of the fruit harvest, many dead farm animals; good grain harvest; reason: A lunar eclipse on 16th of February. | Martedì notte alle ore IIII e mezzo, a dì XVI di febbraio MCCCLV, cominciò la scurazione della luna nel segno dell' Aquario, e all'ore V e mezzo fu tutta scurata, e bene dello spazio d'un altra ora si penò a liberare. E non sapiendo noi per astrologia di sua influenzia, considerammo li efetti di questo seguente anno, e vedemmo continovamente infino a mezzo aprile serenissimo cielo, e apresso continove acque oltre al modo usato e i rimanente d'aprile e tutto il mese di maggio, e apresso continovi secchi e stemperati caldi insino a mezzo ottobre. E in questi tempi estivali e autunnali furono generali infezzioni, e in molte parti malatie di febri e altri stemperamenti di corpi mortali umani, e singularmente malatie di ventre e di pondi co lungo duramento. Ancora avenne in questo anno un disusato accidente alli uomini, e cominciossi in Calavra a fFiume Freddo e scorse fino a Gaeta, e chiamavano questo accidente male arrabiato. L'affetto mostrava mancamento di celabro con cadimento di capogirli con diversi dibattimenti, e mordieno come cani e percotiensi pericolosamente, e assai se ne morivano, ma cchi era proveduto e atato guariva. E fu nel detto anno mortalità di bestie dimestiche grande. E in questo anno medesimo furono [p. 729] in Fiandra, e in Francia e in Italia molte grandi e diverse battaglie, e nuovi movimenti di guerre e di signorie, come leggendo si potrà trovare. E nel detto anno fu singolare buona e gra ricolta di pane, e più vino non si sperava, perché un freddo d'aprile l'uve già nate seccò e arse, e da ccapo molte ne rinacquono e condussonsi a bbene, cosa assai strana. E da mezzo ottobre a calen di gennaio furono acque continove con gravi diluvii, e perdessene il terzo della sementa, ma il gennaio vegnente fu sì bel tempo, che lla perduta sementa si raquistò. I frutti delli alberi dimestichi tutti si perderono in questo anno. Non aremmo stesa questa memoria se lla scurazione predetta non vi ci avesse indotto. | On Tuesday night at half past twelve o'clock, on the sixteenth day of February MCCCLV, the moon began to wax and wane in the sign of Aquarius, and at half past five o'clock it was all darkened, and within another hour it was free. And not knowing by astrology of its influence, we considered the effects of this following year, and saw continually until mid-April very clear skies, and thereafter continually counting waters beyond the usual manner and the remainder of April and the whole month of May, and thereafter dry and warm dry spells until mid-October. And in these summer and autumn times there were general infestations, and in many parts sicknesses of fever and other distempering of human bodies, and singularly sicknesses of the belly and abdomen with long duration. Again, in this year, an unfortunate accident happened to men, and it began in Calavra at Fiume Freddo and went as far as Gaeta, and they called this accident an angry disease. The affection showed a lack of celabrums with the fall of the head with various fights, and they bit like dogs and perished dangerously, and many died, but those who were provided and cured. And there was great mortality of domestic beasts in the said year. And in this same year there were [p. 729] in Flanders, and in France and Italy many great and diverse battles, and new movements of wars and lordships, as you will read. And in the said year there was a singularly good and abundant harvest of bread, and more wine was not hoped for, because one cold April the grapes that had already been born dried up and burned, and from the beginning many of them were reborn and were well, which is a very strange thing. And from the middle of October to the middle of January, there were heavy rains, and a third of the seed was lost, but the coming January was such good weather that the lost seed was regained. The fruits of the dimestique trees were all lost in this year. We would not have written this memoir if the aforementioned destruction had not induced us to do so. | Template:Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 1, pp. 728-729 | Translation by DeepL |
| 1357-11-01-Florence | 1 November 1357 JL | Clear weather around Florence causes a common cold with considerable mortality | Essendo dal cominciamento del verno continovato fino a gennaio un’ aria sottilissima, chiara e serena, e mantenuta sanza ravolgimento di nuvoli o di venti, oltre all’ usato naturale modo, per sperienza del fatto si conobbe che da questa aria venne una influenza, che poco meno che tutti i corpi umani della città, e del contado e distretto di Firenze, e delle circustanti vicinanze, fece infreddare, e durare il freddo avelenato ne’ corpi assai più lungamente che ll’ usato modo. E per dieta o per altri argomenti che’ medici [p. 167] sapessono trovare, no potieno avacciare la liberagione, né da quello liberare le loro persone, e molti dopo la lunga malatia ne morivano; e vegnendo apresso la primavera, molti morirono di subitana morte. Dissesi per li astrolaghi che ffu per influenza di costellazioni, altri per troppa sottigliezza d’aria nel tempo della vernata. | From the beginning of winter until the end of January [1358], a gentle weather (air), clear and sunny, persisted without any clouds or winds – very much beyond what is natural. By experience one knew that this weather exterted an influence on all human bodies in the city and the surrounding countryside of Florence, and let them catch a cold. And this poisonous cold stayed in the bodies much longer than usual. And the doctors could not provide a solution from diets and other measures, and many of the persons afflicted died after a long disease. And as spring came close, many died an instant death. The astrologuers said this was because of the influence of constellations, others said because of the subtile air during wintertime. | Matteo Villani 1995, vol. 2, pp. 166-167 | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1358-00-00-Florence | 1358 JL | Few deaths from febrile illnesses in Florence, but these are entirely without an identifiable trigger | In questi tempi fu ne nostro paese in Valdelsa e in Valdarno, di sotto, e nel Chianti, quasi come l'anno dinanzi passato, generali infertà di terzane, e di quartane, e altre febri di lunga malatia, delle quali pochi morivano. Di ciò si maravigliarono le genti di Valdelsa e di Chianti, perché sono in buone arie e purificate, perché due anni l'uno apresso l'altro fossono maculati di simili infermitadi, no conoscendo alcuna singulare cagione di quello accidente | In these times, in Valdelsa and Valdarno, below, and in Chianti, almost as in the previous year, there were general illnesses of terzane and quartane, and other fevers of long illness, of which few died. The people of Valdelsa and Chianti were astonished by this, because they are in good spirits and purified, because two years ago, one after the other, they were plagued by similar infirmities, not knowing any singular reason for the accident. | Template:Matteo Villani 1995, vol. 2, p. 273 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5 |
| 1358-00-00-Italy | 1358 JL | There was in Tuscany an abundance of fruit. In winter there were colds, in summer tertiary fever. The wine varieties Valdelsa, Chianti and Valdarno had diseases and in France there was a civil war against the nobles. | E ppiù ad aumento di pace in questo anno fu abondanza di tutti i frutti della terra. È vero che furono nel verno malatie di freddo, e nella state molte febri terzane, e semplici e doppie, sicché se lli uomini fer pace delle loro guerre, non di manco li elementi per li peccati sconci delli uomini loro fecero guerra. Nella quale fu da notare che come l'anno passato la Valdelsa, e il Chianti, e il Valdarno furono di molte infertadi gravate e morie, che così nel presente, che ffu mirabile cosa. E perché (p. 208) per queste paci fossono liete molte province, i reame di Francia in questi giorni ebbe grandi e gravi comozioni di popoli contro a' gentili uomini, che molto guastarono il paese, e tre gran compagne di gente d'arme settantrionali conturbarono forte Italia e lla Proenza. Il perché appare che universale pace non può essere nel mondo, come fu al tempo che 'l figliuolo di Dio umana carne della Vergine prese. | And to further increase peace there was abundance of all the fruits of the earth that year. It is true that in winter there were colds, and in summer many tertiary fevers, single and double, so that if men made peace in their wars, the elements still made war on them because of the shameful sins of men. It was remarkable that, as the Valdelsa, the Chianti, and the Valdarno were severely afflicted with many diseases and deaths last year, the same was the case in the present year, which was astonishing. And although many provinces were gladdened by this peace, the kingdom of France in these days experienced great and serious disturbances of the people against the nobles, which greatly devastated the country, and three great hosts of northern warriors greatly troubled Italy and Provence. From this it follows that there can be no universal tranquillity in the world, as there was at the time when the Son of God took on human flesh from the Virgin. | Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, pp. 207-208 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1358-00-00-Netherlands | 1358 JL | The plague raged in Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven and other cities in Brabant. Flanders was spared, because it was earlier hard affected. | Di mortalità d'Allamagna e Brabante Essendo ancora il braccio di Dio disteso sopra i peccatori no corretti né amendati per li suoi terribili giudici a tutto il mondo palesi, e per gastigalli e riducelli a migliore vita, nel detto anno nel tempo dell'autunno ricominciò coll'usata pistolenzia dell'anguinaia a fragellare il ponente, e molto gravò in Borsella, che del mese d'ottobre e di novembre vi morirono più di millecinquecento borgesi, sanza le femine e' fanciulli, che furono assai. Ad Anguersa, e a lLovana, e nell'altre ville di Brabante il simile fé. Non toccò la Fiandra, perché altra volta n'era molto stata gravata, e però Brabante più ne sentì; e per simile modo avenne nella Magna a Basola, e in altre città e castella infino a Buemia e Praga, le quali dalla prima mortalità non erano state gravate. | On mortality in Germany and Brabant Since the arm of God was still outstretched over the unrepentant and uncorrected sinners, and in order to chastise them by his terrible judgments revealed to the whole world and to lead them back to a better life, the usual plague of the groin began to plague the West again in the autumn of the year mentioned. Brussels was particularly hard hit, where more than 1500 citizens died in October and November, not counting the women and children, who were also numerous. The same thing happened in Antwerp, Leuven and other cities in Brabant. Flanders was not affected, as it had been severely affected earlier, which is why Brabant suffered all the more; it happened in a similar way in Germany in Basel and in other towns and castles as far as Bohemia and Prague, which had not been affected by the first plague. | Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, p. 273. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1360-00-00-Florence | 1360 JL | Throughout the summer clear weather and heat, which leaded to abundant harvest of grain, wine and other crops. High mortality in western parts, but also in Italy many diseases with death, for exampel an epidemic of smallpox among children but also among men and women higher age. | Ancora dello stato del tempo e della moria dell'anguinaia Questo anno fu singulare di continovo sereno tutta la state, e di notabile caldo, e ebbe secondo il lungo tempo secco e caldo comunale ricolta di grano e di vino, e degli altri frutti della terra, ma la moria fu (p. 456) grandissima i molte parti occidentali, come narrato di sopra avemo, e lla Italia ebbe molti infermi di lunghe malatie, ed assai morti; e generale infermità di vaiuolo fu nella state di fanciulli e ne' garzoni, ed eziandio nelli uomini e femine di maggiori etadi, ch'era cosa di stupore e fastidiosa a vedere. | About the weather and the inguinal plague This year was characterised by continuously clear weather throughout the summer, accompanied by remarkable heat. Due to the prolonged drought and heat, the harvest of grain, wine and other crops was abundant. However, mortality was very high in many western parts, as described above, and Italy also had many sick with protracted diseases and numerous deaths. In summer there was a general epidemic of smallpox among children and youths, as well as among men and women of advanced age, which was astonishing and unpleasant to see. | Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, pp. 455-456 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1362-00-00-Italy | June 1362 JL | Pestis secunda in Italy is explained with weather methaphors with regard to its unclear pattern. | In questi tempi, del mese di giugno e luglio, la usata pistolenzia dell'anguinaia con danno grandissimo percosse la città di Bologna, e tutto il Casentino occupò, salvo che certe ville alle quali perdonò, procedendo quasi in similtudine di grandine, la quale e questo e quel campo pericola, e quello del mezzo [p. 586] quasi perdonando trapassa; e sse similtudine di suo effetto dare si può, se cciò procede dal cielo per mezzo dell'aria corrotta, simile pare alle nuvole rade e spesse, per le quali passi i rraggio del sole, e dove fa sprendere e dove no. Or come che 'l fatto si vada, nel Casentino infino a Decomano nelle terre del conte Ruberto fé grande damaggio d'ogni maniera di gente: toccò Modona e Verona assai, e lla città di Pisa e di Lucca, e in certe parti del contado di Firenze vicine all'alpi, e nelle alpi delli Ubaldini: a' Pisani tolse molti cittadini, ma più soldati. Nell' isola di rodi in questi tempi ha ffatti danni incredibili: e nel MCCCLXII del mese di luglio e d'agosto aspramente assalì l'oste de' collegati di Lombardia sopra la città di Brescia per modo che convenne se ne partisse, e nella città danno fece assai. Nella città di Napoli e in molte terre de Regno, ove assai, e dove poco facea, ove neente. Nelle case vicini a fFegghine cominciò d'ottobre in una ruga, e ll' altre vie non toccò. In Firenze ove in una casa ove in un'altra di rado e poco per infino a calen di dicembre. | In these times, in the months of June and July, the recurring plague of the groin area struck the city of Bologna with great harm and spread throughout the entire Casentino region, except for certain villages which were spared. It proceeded almost in a manner similar to hail, which damages one field and the next but spares the one in the middle; if a comparison to its effect can be made, it seems to proceed from the sky through the corrupted air, similar to sparse and dense clouds, through which the sun's rays pass, shining in some places and not in others. However it happened, in Casentino up to Decomano in the lands of Count Ruberto, it caused great damage to all kinds of people: it affected Modena and Verona significantly, as well as the cities of Pisa and Lucca, and in certain parts of the Florence countryside near the Alps, and in the Ubaldini Alps. It took many citizens from the Pisans, but more soldiers. In the island of Rhodes during these times, it caused incredible damage: and in 1362, in the months of July and August, it harshly attacked the allied army of Lombardy above the city of Brescia to the point that they had to retreat, and it caused considerable damage in the city. In the city of Naples and many lands of the Kingdom, it caused much damage in some places, little in others, and none in others. Near Feghine, it began in October in one street but did not touch the others. In Florence, it affected one house or another rarely and slightly until the beginning of December.. | Matteo Villani 1995, vol. 2, pp. 585–586. | Translation by DeepL |
| 1363-00-00-Florence | 1363 JL | Matteo Villani died on the plague and his son Filippo Villani wants to continue his work. | In questi giorni la pistilenza dell'anguinaia prese il componitore di questa opera Matteo, e trovandolo di sobria e temperata natura e vita il dibatté cinque giorni, in fine il dodecimo dì del mese di luglio divotamente rendé l'anima a dDio. Il quale in tanto possiamo dire meritevolemente essere da laudare, in quanto esso co lo stile ch'a llui fu possibile non sofferse che perissono le cose accorse nel mondo per lo tempo che scrive degne di memoria, quindi aparecchiando materia a' più dilicati e alti ingegni di riducere sue ricordanze in più filice e rilevato stile, qui a mme Filippo suo figliuolo lasciando il pensiere di seguitare sue per infino alla pace fatta colli Pisani, per no lasciare la materia intracisa, e così m'ingegnerò di fare la storia di tempo in tempo, coll'altre cose accorse nell'altre parti del mondo le quali a mia notizia perverranno. | It was during these days that the author of this work, Matteo, was taken by the inguinal plague. Although he was of a sober and temperate nature and lifestyle, he struggled with the disease for five days until he finally returned his soul consecrated to God on the twelfth day of July. We can say that he deserves to be praised because, despite his own sufferings and the suffering that happened in the world during his writing period and was worth remembering, he prepared material so that the finer and more discerning minds could rework his memoirs in an appealing and sublime style. Here I will Filippo, his son, who left me the thought of continuing his work until peace with the Pisans, not leave his work unfinished. I shall endeavour to record events at regular intervals and also to report on what is happening in other parts of the world, as and when I become aware of them. | Filippo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, p. 663 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-00-00-Florence 001 | 1363 JL | The brothers of Pagolo died in the mortality and left him alone with the business. He had many debts which made his life full of wories. | Fu di nicistà che ’l detto Pagholo, giovane gharzone, e, sechondo l’età d’allora, fanciullo, provedesse al tutto; e se fu fatichoso e di sollecitudine e di rischio, i’ penso choll’aiuto di Dio dirtene tanto innanzi che ttu arai chagione d’inmaginare il tutto. Questi suoi fratelli morirono di (p. 193) pistolenza nella mortalità fonda del sesantatré, che ffu grande, e andaronsene a piè di Dio inn ispazio di venti dì; e, chome ài inteso, i due erano avillupati nel trafficho del guado e nella tinta, dove egli aveano inviluppati circha di quindicimila fiorini. Il terzo, e primo a morire, avea donna, e viva rimase dopo lui e giovane. Era invillupato questo nell’usure, ché pocho fecie altro; e none si distendea questo suo viluppo pure in Firenze ma per tutto il chontado, e pure chon lavoratori e poveri il forte, e chon grandi / (c. 42v) uomini e potenti, e in Firenze e di fuori. Il detto Pagholo, giovane, soro, solo, sanza alchuno aiuto o chonsiglio se non di suoi amici, a tenpo di mortalità, isbighottito della morte de’ suoi e della paura di sé, trovatosi in gran viluppi di molti crediti a rischuotere e di migliaia di fiorini, sendone morti assai d<e’> creditori e de’ fattori che aveano nel chapo i fatti loro, avendo etiandio a cierchare d’essi non pure in Firenze o nel chontado, ma di fuori, ‘Arezo, al Borgho, a Siena, a Pisa e per altre istrane parti, a ritrarre merchatantia, a venderla, e a svilupare tutto, non fu sanza grande sollecitudine e faticha. | It was necessary for the said Pagholo, a young lad and still a child by the standards of the time, to take care of everything; and although it was laborious, worrying and risky, I think that with God's help I can tell you so much about it that you will understand the whole thing. His brothers died of the plague in the great mortality of 1363, and they went to God within twenty days. As you have learnt, two were involved in the woad trade and dyeing business, where they had invested about 15,000 florins. The third, who was the first to die, had a wife who was left a young widow after him. He was in the usury business and little else; his business extended not only in Florence but throughout the surrounding area, especially with labourers and the poor, but also with rich and powerful people, both in Florence and beyond. The aforementioned Pagholo, young and alone, without any help or advice except from his friends, in a time of mortality, terrified by the death of his loved ones and in fear for his own life, found himself in great entanglements with many debts, which is why he had to risk many loans and thousands of florins. Many of the debtors and administrators who ran their businesses had also died. He not only had to retrieve and sell goods in Florence or the surrounding area, but also outside, in Arezzo, the Borgo, Siena, Pisa and other foreign places, and unravel everything. This was not done without great care and effort. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, pp. 192-193. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-00-00-Florence 002 | 1363 JL | The plague raged in Florence and killed three brothers of the author's father, but in general the plague was less deadly than that of 1348. | Negli anni 1363 fu in Firenze la mortalità pestilenziale†: fu grande e moricci assai giente, ma non agiunse al quarto di danno che quella del ’48 chome che a nnoi fusse tre chotanti piggiore; ché nella detta moria, chome dinanzi n’è memoria, mori tre fratelli di nostro padre, cioè di Pagolo di Bartolomeo nominati Giovanni, Dino e Chalandro: il dì e ‘l tenpo è scritto innanzi. | In 1363 there was a plague-like mortality in Florence: it was great and many people died, but it did not reach a quarter of the damage caused by that of 1348, although it seemed to us three times worse; for during that plague, as mentioned before, three of our father's brothers died, namely Pagolo di Bartolomeo's brothers Giovanni, Dino and Chalandro: the day and time have already been written down before. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, p. 234 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-00-00-Florence 003 | May 1363 JL | Great plague in Florence and surroundings | In questo tempo fu grande pistolenzia nella città e contado di Firenze | In this year was a great plague in the city and the surroundings of Florence | Filippo di Cino Rinuccini: Ricordi storici 1840, p. XXXIII | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1363-00-00-Florence 004 | 1363 JL | A son of Matteo died during the plague, others fled to Forlì. | Antonio, l' altro figliuolo che rimase di Matteo, vivette da XV anni ; sì che di lui poco si può scrivere, se non ch' era diverso e di sangue focoso, e temo, fosse andato per vita, avrebbe fatto delle cose ch' avrebbe riscaldato gli orecchi altrui. Morì per la mortalità del 1363, essendo Bernardo e Salvestro a Forlì là fuggiti per la temenza della mortalità ; come molti altri feciono il simile, e chi ne capitò male e chi bene, ma i più bene. | Antonio, Matteo's other son, lived until he was fifteen, so little can be written about him except that he was different and hot-tempered. I fear that if he had lived a longer life, he would have done things that would have made others' ears prick up. He died during the plague in 1363, when Bernardo and Salvestro had fled to Forlì for fear of the plague. Many others did the same, and some were lucky, some were not, but most were lucky. | Donato Velluti: Cronica domestica 1914, p. 46 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-00-00-Montecalvoli | 1363 JL | The siege of Montecalvoli was lifted because the plague struck badly the army and the captain was ill as well. | Come morì messer Piero da Farnese Essendo entrata la furia della pistilenza dell'anguinaia ne l'oste de'Fiorentini, molti n'uccise, molti ne 'ndebolì, molti ne 'nvilì. Il perché essendo levato l'assedio da Montecalvoli, per comandamento de' signori di Firenze, il capitano era in Castello Fiorentino, e quivi lo prese il male dell'anguinaia a dì XVIIII di giugno, e il detto dì n'andò a Sa Miniato del Tedesco, e quivi in su la mezza notte passò di questa vita, e il corpo suo inn-una cassa alle spese del Comune fu recato in Firenze, e posato a Verzaia, aspettando Ranuccio (p. 662) suo fratello per cui era mandato; poi a dì XXV del mese il corpo suo fu recato in Firenze alle spese del Comune con amirabile pompa d'asequio, le quali furono di questa maniera… [...] | How Messer Piero da Farnese Died When the fury of the plague struck the Florentine army, it killed many, weakened many, and demoralized many. After the siege of Montecalvoli was lifted on the orders of the lords of Florence, the captain was in Castello Fiorentino, where he was struck by the disease known as "Anguinaia" (plague boils) on June 19th. On that same day, he went to San Miniato al Tedesco, where he passed away around midnight. His body was placed in a coffin at the expense of the Commune and taken to Florence, where it was laid in Verzaia while waiting for his brother Ranuccio, who had been summoned. Then, on the 25th of the month, his body was brought to Florence at the expense of the Commune with remarkable pomp and ceremony, which proceeded in this manner… [...] | Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, pp. 661-662 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-06-00-Florence | June 1363 JL | The plague raged in Florence, Venice, Padua, Istria, Slavonia, Egypt, Syria and other parts of the Middle East | Della mortalità dell'anguinaia Nel presente mese di giugno, per vere lettere de' mercatanti fu in Firenze come in Egitto, e in Soria, e nell'altre parti di Levante la pistilenzia dell'anguinaia; gravissimamente offendea e in Vinegia, e in Padova, e nell'Istria, e in Ischiavonia, nonistente che i detti luoghi altra volta toccasse. Anche gravemente ritoccò le terre di Toscana, e quasi tutte comprese, e in Firenze, già stata generale tre mesi per tutto giugno con fracasso d'ogni maniera di gente. | The mortality of the inguinal plague In the current month of June, the inguinal plague was reported to be raging in Florence as well as in Egypt, Syria and other parts of the Middle East, according to reliable reports from merchants. It also caused serious damage in Venice, Padua, Istria and Slavonia, although it had already affected these areas at other times. Tuscany was also severely affected again, almost all places were hit, and in Florence, where it had already been affecting every kind of person for three months, the whole of July, with great noise. | Matteo Villani 1995, Vol. 2, p. 660. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-06-00-Florence 001 | July 1363 JL | In Florence there was great mortality. For this reason, and because the Pisans were well supplied, the Florentines were attacked by the Pisans who caused great damage. | Rubrica 691a - Come li Pisani cavalcarono, e fecero gran danno d'arsioni e di prede. Negli anni del Signore 1363 li Pisani avendo a memoria la ingiuria ricevuta da'Fiorentini, e stimando ch'eglino si poteano vendicare largamente, sì perchè erano forniti di gente, e che la mortalità era grande in Firenze, si mossero del mese di luglio, e vennorsene a Pistoia lo dì S. Iacopo [25.07.]. Ed indi partiti se ne vennero a S. Donnino e a Campi, ed arsero, e fecero grande danno. E così feciono grandissimo danno di preda e di prigioni e d'arsione, e poi si partirono, e tornaronsi a Pisa con grande festa ed allegrezza; e li Fiorentino il contradio per lo danno ricevuto e per la grande mortalità, ch'era allora in Firenze e per tutto il suo contorno. | Rubrica 691a - How the Pisans rode and caused great damage to weapons and booty. In the year of our Lord 1363, the Pisans, remembering the insult they had received from the Florentines, and reckoning that they could take ample revenge because they were well supplied with men and because the mortality in Florence was great, set out in the month of July and came to Pistoia on the day of St James [25.07.]. And then they travelled on and came to S. Donnino and Campi, plundering and causing great damage. And so they did great damage in spoils and prisons and plundering, and then they departed and returned to Pisa with great feasting and rejoicing; and the Florentines were angry with them because of the damage they had suffered and because of the great mortality that was then in Florence and in the whole neighbourhood. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 261. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1363-07-00-Firenze | July 1363 JL | Pestis secunda in Florence and refugees to Bologna, since August Pestis secunda even in Padua, Ferrara and Venice | Et in quisti dì [Juli] era in Fiorenza una grandissima mortalità, per tucta la Toschana; che venne in Bologna assai Thoschani, per ussire della morìa. [...] [p. 167] Ancora in lo dicto millesimo si fu una grandissima mortalità a Ferara, a Padoa, a Vinesia. Et deti sapere che l'anno passado la gli era stata grande; et per quello che se diseva ogni homo, l'era mortalità et guerra et per tucta la christianitade; et fu in molte terre de za che la gli fu doe volte, zoè in la più parte. | And in these days [July] there was in Florence a very great mortality, for all of Tuscany; that many Thoskans came to Bologna, to get away from the death ... [p. 167] Still in the said thousand year, there was a very great mortality in Ferara, in Padua, in Venice. And you should know that last year there was great mortality; and for what every man said, there was mortality and war and for the whole of Christianity; and in many lands it was twice, that is, in the most part. | Anonymus 1938b, pp. 166–167 | Translation by Thomas Wozniak |
| 1366-00-00-Florence | 1366 JL | Great cold in Florence and other parts of the world with many deaths. | La detta Cara si maritò in prima a uno Bartolommeo di … [empty] e stette collui forse tre dì ; e per lo scruttino che si fece de' Priori nel 1366, nel quale tempo fu uno grande freddo, e la maggiore parte de' cittadini furono infreddati, e molti ne morirono, la quale freddura e ricadia fu in molti parti del mondo, il detto Bartolommeo ne morì. | The aforementioned Cara first married a Bartolommeo of ... and stayed with him for perhaps three days. During the trial of the Priori in 1366, when there was a great cold and most of the citizens had a cold and many died, the cold was in many parts of the world, the said Bartolommeo died of it | Donato Velluti: Cronica domestica 1914, p. 53 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1370-00-00-Florence | 1370 JL | Due to the bad weather in the previous year, there was a great famine in Florence. This was fuelled by wars in Italy and a mortality of cattle, which is why no livestock came to Florence. | Rubrica 723a - Come' in questo anno fu grande carestia d'ogni cosa. Nel detto anno [1370] fu grandissima carestia, perocchè per la gran pioggia dell'anno passato, e perchè era stata guerra, non s'era raccolto assai abbastanza; di che convenne si mandasse per grano di fuori. E valse quell'anno lo staio fiorentino, tre mesi: ciò fu febbraio, marzo e aprile e parte di maggio, un fiorino lo staio. E quel medesimo anno di vino fu gran carestia, perocchè valse fiorini uno la barile di ricolta, e di state fiorini uno e mezzo il barile. Ancora fu carestia di carne, perocchè quell'anno era stata in Lombardia la guerra e in Toscana e in molte luogora, per la quale cagione non era venuto a Firenze bestiame di Puglia, donde ne solea venire assai. Quell'anno v'ebbe mortalità di bestiame, la qual cosa gittò assai carestia oltre all'altre cagioni di sopra narrate. | Rubrica 723a - How in that year there was a great famine of everything. In the year in question [1370] there was a great famine because not enough grain had been harvested due to the heavy rains of the previous year and the war, so grain had to be brought in from outside. In the months of February, March, April and partly in May, a staio of Florentine grain cost one florin. In the same year there was a great shortage of wine, as a barrel of wine cost one florin and in summer one and a half florins. There was also a shortage of meat, because in that year there was war in Lombardy and Tuscany and in many other places, which is why no cattle came to Florence from Apulia, where they often came from in the past. In that year there was a great death of cattle which, in addition to the other reasons mentioned above, caused a great famine. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 275 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1374-00-00-Florence | 1374 JL | Many relatives from the author died of the plague in Florence and Arezzo. He was in the meantime in Bologna. | 37. Questa Orsa, figliuola di me Luca, cavalieri, come piacque a Dio, al tempo della grande pistolenza, passò di questa vita, in Arezzo; ed è sepulta al luogo di frati Minori. E qui in Firenze morì a casa nostra Giancristofano suo marito, a dì .. Di luglio MCCCLXXIIII. […] 39. Nel MCCCLXXIIII, a dì 4 d'agosto, al tempo della grande pistolenza, s'ammalò la sopradetta madonna Felice, in Firenze ed era gravida di otto mesi; ebbe due gavoccioli, cioè da ogni lato, tralla coscia e'l corpo, uno; e fu sopellita colla creatura in corpo, in San Niccolò, in Firenze; e visse forse cinquantadue ore: Iddio la faccia verace perdono; e fu discreta e valente donna. […] Morì l'Orsa mia figliuola in Arezo, e Giancristofano suo marito, e cugino carnale di madonna Felice, venne d'Arezzo chioccio; e come fu stato in casa mia a Firenze tre dÌ, s'ammalò di questi gavocci; e forse cinquanto ore visse; e infra dieci dì la detta madonna Felice morì. Io era in Bologna, quando ebbi queste dolorose e spiacevoli e fortunevoli novelle; ed era a provvisione di Santa Chiesa, [p. 73] con isventure assai senza queste, di ch'io avea e oe turbazione, quanto cavaliere di Toscano: Iodato Iddio sempre. 40. Giovanni mio figliuolo, con quelle più onore che si potea, fece sopellire Giancristofano, in Firenze, al luogo di San Francesco; e nella malattia e nella sepultura si spese assai danari di nostri. Iddio faccia loro misercordia perpetuale per la sua gran benignità. Di .. di luglio 1374. | 7. This Orsa, daughter of me Luca, knight, as it pleased God, at the time of the great pistolence, passed from this life, in Arezzo; and is buried at the place of the Friars Minor. And here in Florence her husband Giancristofano died at our house, on dì.. of July 1374. [...]
39. In the year 1374, on the 4th of August, during the time of the great plague, the aforementioned lady Felice, who was eight months pregnant, fell ill in Florence. She developed two swellings (gavoccioli), one on each side between her thigh and body. She was buried in San Niccolò in Florence with the child still in her womb and lived for perhaps fifty-two hours. May God grant her true forgiveness; she was a wise and worthy woman. [...] My daughter Orsa died in Arezzo, and Giancristofano, her husband and a close cousin of lady Felice, came from Arezzo in mourning. After spending three days in my house in Florence, he fell ill with these swellings and lived perhaps fifty hours; within ten days, the said lady Felice also died. I was in Bologna when I received these sorrowful and distressing news. I was there in the service of the Holy Church, with many misfortunes already weighing on me besides these, as any knight of Tuscany would feel. May God always be praised. 40. Giovanni my son, with as much honour as he could, had Giancristofano buried in the place of San Francesco in Florence; and in his illness and burial he spent a great deal of our money. God grant them perpetual mercy for his great kindness. Of .. of July 1374. | Luca di Totto da Panzano: Libro di ricordanze 1861, pp. 72-73 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1374-00-00-Florence 001 | 1374 JL | The family of Giovanni and of Pagolo fled from the mortality of 1374 to Bologna. They lived there together in a house and shared the expenses. | E frall’altre si vide di lui questo: che pe·lla mortalità del 1374 , sendo fuggiti a Bolongnia tutta / (c. 44v) la famiglia rimasa di Giovanni e tutta la famiglia di Pagholo, insieme inn una chasa abitanti e a una ispesa chonchorenti a chomune, chome che chon vantaggio grande per que’ di Giovanni, nondimeno, tornando a quello ch’i’ vo’ dire, noi savamo chontinui tra uomini, donne, fanciulli e balie e fanti forestieri e chonpangnioni più di venti in famiglia. […] | And among other things, this was shown in his case: during the plague of 1374, when the remaining family of Giovanni and the entire family of Pagholo had fled to Bologna, they lived together in one house and shared the expenses, although there was great advantage for those of Giovanni. Nevertheless, to come back to what I wanted to say, we knew that they totalled more than twenty people in the family, including men, women, children, wet nurses and foreign servants and companions. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, p. 197 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1374-00-00-Florence 002 | 1374 JL | Great plague in Florence and the family of Pagholo fled to Bologna. | Negli anni Domini 1374 fu nella città di Firenze pestilenza † e grande; e chome dinanzi faciemmo memoria, Pagholo rendé l’anima a Dio in quest’anno, e noi fuggimmo a Bolongnia tutti, chome è scritto. | In the year 1374 was a plague in the city of Florence and great; and as we have already mentioned, in that year Pagholo gave his soul back to God, and we all fled to Bologna, as it was written. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, p. 236. | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1374-00-00-Florence 003 | 1374 JL | Great mortality in Florence, besides price increase for grain and other crops and great wars. | Nell'anno 1374 secondo il corso degli anni, cominciandosi dalla Natività del Signore Giesù Cristo, fu calende di Gennaio in Domenica. Fu nel detto anno mortalità di gente, e grandissimo caro di grano, e d'ogni altra biada quasi per tutto il mondo; fu caro di carne, d'olio, e quasi d'ogni altro bene, ed anco il vino non fu vile. La Pasqua di Surresso fu a' dì due d'Aprile, e grandi guerre furono in detto anno. | In the year 1374, beginning after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, January 1st fell on a Sunday. In that year there was great mortality among the people and an enormous price increase for grain and almost all other crops throughout the world; meat, oil and almost all other goods were also expensive, and wine was not cheap either. Easter fell on April 2, and there were great wars that year. | Naddo de Montecatini: Memorie istoriche 1784, p. 1. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1374-03-00-Firenze | March 1374 JL | A new plague wave hits Florence and the city loses relatively few people, but the societal impact is severe. | Nel detto anno 1374 era fama d'una mortalità dell'usata pestilenza dello infiato dell'anguinaia, o sotto il ditello, e vivisene tre o quattro dì il più alto. Nel generale era stata in tutte le parti circunstanti d'intorno grandissima, bene che ove maggiore e minore; ma nel generale parve essere morto il terzo della gente, o delle bocche, nelle circunstanze. E molte favole e novelle se ne diceano, come di simili cose s'usa di parlare. Cominciò in Firenze di marzo, e a poco a poco seguito la cosa per modo che a settembre o ottobre quasi poco o nulla v'era della detta pestilenzia; e non fu niuna Terra in Toscana, ove del tanto meno gente morissero che in Firenze: perrochè morirono circa settemila bocche, che ve ne era a quel tempo sessanta milia, o più. Ma diessene ancora la utilità al fuggirla, ove era stata, perocchè la maggior parte' della gente con gli figluoli e mogli uscirono di Firenze, e andarono ad abitare in Terre. E niuno era, che avesse di che fare le spese, che non se ne andasse. Fecionsi molti ordini di non sonare campane, nè porro paghe, nè portare più che quattro torchi, e non vestire più ch'è figluoli di nero. Ancora feciono riformagione sopra [p. 290] a chi fuggìa, che se fosse tratto a ufici, fosse stracciato, se infra dieci dì non venisse all' uficio e coresse in pena di cinquecento lire, e poi avesse divieto agli altri ufici; e intorno a ciò assai cose feciero da non farne menzione; epperò taccio. | In the mentioned year 1374 there were rumors of the usual plague with the swollen groin, or below the armpit, and one lived three or four days at the longest. In general this happened in all areas around [Florence] with great intensity, although some place were hitten harder than others. But most of the time, one third of the people died in the surrounding areas. And one tells a lot of stories about it, as it always happens with these events. In Florence, it started in March, and slowly but surely the disease continued until September or October, when it had burned itself out. And there was no place in Tuscany, where alltogether more people died than in Florence: About 7000 persons died here from an overall population of more than 60.000. And people considered it a good idea to flee the place where the epidemic happened, so a large part of the population left the city with their childern and spouses and went to live in the countryside. And from those that did not leave, no one did more than just buying food. There were issued many regulations, like not ringing the bells, not doing payments, not carrying more than four torches, and not put on more clothing than the sons of black (Monks?). And they made law about people that fled the city: Whoever had left his office unattended was removed from it, if he did not return within ten days and payed a fine of 500 lire. He would furthermore be banned from other offices. Apart from that much more happened which should not be mentioned, and that's why I remain silent. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 289-290. | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1374-04-25-Florence | 25 April 1374 JL | When the father of Buonaccorso Pitti, Neri, died, Pitti left Florence with his 8 brothers and his mom and fled to Val di Pesa from the raging plague. They returned, when the plague was over. | [39] Io Bonacorso di Neri farò qui appresso ricordo dell'andare per lo mondo ch'io fatto di poi che io rimasi sanza padre che fu l'anno 1374 a dì 25 d'aprile che nostro padre morì, a cui Iddio perdoni. E, sendo egli morto, noi suoi figliuoli che ci trovammo otto insieme colla nostra madre per cagione (p. 11) che la mortalità era a Firenze, ci riducemmo a uno nostro luogo in Val di Pesa che si chiama il Corno, dove occorse che Giovanni nostro fratello si morì che era d'età di 27 anni e anche si morì in casa nostra in quelli pochi dì Niccolò di Cione nostro cugino e morti del segno della pestilenza. E, sendo ristata la mortalità a Firenze, ci ritornammo e trovando che monna Margherita madre del detto Niccolò avea vota la casa dove stavano e portata tutta loro masserizie e roba da vantaggio in casa una sua sirocchia […] | Now I will give an account of the journeys I made to different parts of the world after the death of my father, Neri - may the Lord have mercy on him - on 25 April 1374. When he died, my brothers and myself - eight of us with our mother - left Florence where a plague had broken out and took refuge at Il corno, a country house of ours in Val di Pesa. While we were there, my brother Giovanni, who was twenty-seven years old, died of the plague, and so, a few days later, did our cousin Niccolò, Cione's son. When the epidemic was over, we returned to Florence where we found that Niccolò's mother, Monna Margherita, had stripped the house they lived in and moved all their goods and valuables to the house of her sister […] | Buonaccorso Pitti: Ricordi 1986, pp. 10-11. | None |
| 1374-07-25-Florence | 25 July 1374 JL | Letter from Coluccio Salutati to Benvenuto da Imo about the possible causes of the plague. He sees the plague as the will of God and therefore does not want to flee Florence. | Et demum, quod ad fugam pestis me ad lares tuos cum familia tam fraterne tamque amicabiliter invitas, mecum admiratus sum. Ubi enim fugiam a facie Dei mei? si enim hec pestis divina dispostione totum concutit genus mortalium sive, quod optem, sit talis peccatorum sive alia quecunque summi illius opificis ordinatio; et nostrum non est summum illud frustrare numen, cum ubicunque sit immensum et potens, quid iuvat inde fugere ubi tunc videtur servire sententia, cum, si condemnatus fuero, ubicunque me invenerit, iudicabit? Fallimur, arbitror, omnes, qui putamus Dei ista proculdubio opera indiscreto ictu quasi sagittas in vulgus iactari; illum afficit, seu medicinalis seu ultrix [p. 171] fuerit ista clades, quem percutiendum preordinaverit divina maiestas, que nec loco circunscribitur nec tempore, nec minus hic quam alibi cum voluerit operatur. Si enim, ut physici volunt, aeris foret ista corruptio, cur ubi furit ullum preterit omnino mortalium, quem etsi non extinguat, saltem non attingat? Vivimus omnes in aere isto corrupto, quem volunt physiologi, imo, ut verius loquar, fingilogi, fore venenum nec pudet eos diversitati complexionum ascribere, si quos viderint nullo modo, ceteris morientibus, egrotare; quasi in veneno possit humana complexio intemerata servari. Nescio tamen quo pacto quando in disputationem cum ipsis venitur et queritur: si aer iste, agitabilis et qui ventis continuo circunfertur, infectus est, cur in sola urbe, cur in uno vico, cur in cetera urbis parte, cur eadem in domo hi moriuntur, hi egrotant, hi penitus valent incolumes; et si hoc ascribitur etati, cur hec domos pueros perdit, illa iuvenes, ista senes decrepitos; altera mulieres preservat, altera viros; una superstitem habet maiorem natu, alia vero minorem? Denique fatentur rationem deficere, cum non valent omnibus respondere. Ceterum, ut ad preces tuas redeam, istuc me conaris allicere ubi tu ipse pestem confirmas propter advenarum confluentiam desevire. Credo tantus est ardor amici potiundi quod deceptus amore, tui ipsius immemor, periculi, quod istic imminet, es oblitus, et forte, quod evenire consuevit, ut longe minus presentia terraent quam ea que tumultuante fama percipimus, te rum commovit ut saltem de maiore ad minus periculum me vocares. Quicquid id fuit, gratias ago amicicie atque benignitati tue; ego florenti huic urbi, dum fata erunt, sive bellum sive fames sive pestis insultet, perpetuum inherebo. | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 1, pp. 170-171 | None |
| 1383-00-00-Florence | 1383 JL | Plague hits Florence. | 1383. Pestilentia Florentinos affluxit. | 1383. The pestilence afflicted the Florentines. | Annales florentini 1868, p. 682. | Translation by Martin Bauch |
| 1383-00-00-Florence 001 | 1383 JL | The plague raged again in Florence and many people fled. To stop the exodus, a law was passed forbidding the Florentines to leave their homes. However, the fear of death was so great that the law had no effect. | Eo qui secutus est anno pestis iampridem coepta desaevivit, et fugae civium secutae sunt, per quas vacuefacta urbs suspicionem dedit, ne a plebe infima invaderetur. Itaque lex lata est, ne quis civis florentinus domo abesset, quo frequentior esset urbs, nec deserta a bonis in perditorum relinqueretur potestate. Sed neque lex neque prohibitio tenere potuit fugas; quippe adversus timorem mortis propositae timor omnis alter tamquam levior succumbebat. Ea pestis aliquot menses civitatem afflixit et insignes aliquot viros absumpsit. Ob eam causam nihil dignum memoria domi vel foris eo anno est gestum. | In the following year (1383), the plague that had begun some time before vented its rage anew, whereupon the citizens took to flight. The emptying of the city caused anxiety that it would be seized be the lowest class. So a law was passed forbidding Florentine citizens from leaving their homes, to keep the city populated and not leave it in the power of depraved men, deserted by the good. But no law or prohibition could restrain people from fleeing; indeed in the face of a visible fear of death all other fears yielded as being of lesser weight. The plague afflicted the city for several months and carried off a number of distinguished men. For this reason nothing worthy of memory was accomplished this year either at home or abroad. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 3, p. 62. | None |
| 1383-00-00-Florence 002 | 1383 JL | The plague raged in Florence. It began slightly in 1382, was then almost imperceptible, raged violently from March 1383 to September and was weak again until March 1384. During the worst months, many people fled the city. | Rubrica 955a - Come fu una grande mortalità nella città di Firenze. Nel detto anno [1383] cominciò a Firenze una pestilenza primiera, e primiera di ciò per rispetto ch'era cominciata infino nell'anno dinanzi in alcuna casa, al Canto a Monteloro ed a S. Piero Maggiore, forse in quattro case, ed avie casa dove in uno mese n'erano morti 10 e lasciatore due, e poi restata; ma per la città quasi niente si sentì se non in sul marzo e aprile; allora cominciò a rucellare, e bastò infino al settembre molto fiera, pure al modo dell'altre mortalità, di quello segno del grosso sotto il braccio e sopra la coscia all'anguinaia. Molti buoni uomini morti, ma più fu ne'giovani e fanciulli che negli uomini e femmine di compiuta età. Ultimamente ristette, come detto è, di settembre, non sì che alcuno, e questo era a rado, infino al marzo vegnente' dello altro anno non ne sentisse, ma radi e pochi. Pure com'è d'usanza di tenerne lo conto che muoiono, in quello anno ne morirono circa (p. 427) di … (lacuna). E così posata la maggior parte di novembre si tornarono alla città: alquanti stettero infino passata la primavera, e poi tornarono. | Rubrica 955a - How a great plague raged in the city of Florence In the year in question (1383), a severe plague began in Florence. The first signs had already been seen the previous year in some houses on the Canto a Monteloro and near S. Piero Maggiore, perhaps in four houses, whereby there were ten deaths in one house in one month and only two survived. After that, the epidemic subsided and was hardly noticed in the city until March and April. Then it began to rage violently and lasted until September, with typical symptoms such as large bumps under the arm and on the groin. Many good men died, but it was young people and children who were most affected, rather than adults. The epidemic finally subsided in September, but there were still isolated cases until March of the following year. The deaths were counted, and in that year about ... (gap). Most returned to the city in November; some stayed away until after spring and then returned. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, pp. 426-427. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1383-00-00-Florence 003 | 1383 JL | During the plague, many people fled the city of Florence. To prevent this, the rulers tried in vain to force people to stay and even a tax did not help, as some paid and others did not. | Rubrica 956a- Come per la detta mortalità si fece più leggi e ordini a Firenze. Nel detto anno si feciono di molte leggi, acciocchè niuno cittadino si partisse per la detta mortalità, a ciò che sospettavano che la minuta gente non partisse, e facesse romore, ed i mali contenti s'accozzassero con loro. Poi veduto che pur si partivano li ricchi, cominciarono a non lassare partire niuno sanza il bullettino. Ancora a questo era impossibile a tenergli. Poi all'ultimo impuosero danari a chi s'era partito, o partisse: comecchè la cosa non andò uguale, che di quelli a cui fu posto, pagarono e tale no, com'è sempre d'usanza che gli animali grossi e possenti saltano e rompono le reti; pure n'entro in Comune fiorini … (lacuna). Dissero che gli voleano per soldare fanti, acciocchè lo stato stesse fermo. | Rubrica 956a - How many laws and regulations were passed in Florence due to the aforementioned plague. In that year (1383), many laws were passed to prevent citizens from leaving the city because of the plague. It was feared that the common people who stayed would cause unrest and join forces with the discontented. When they saw that the rich were leaving anyway, they began to prevent anyone from leaving without authorisation. But it was impossible to enforce this. In the end, a tax was levied on those who had left or wanted to leave. However, this measure was not uniform: some paid, others did not, as is always the case when the strong and powerful circumvent the rules. Nevertheless, some florins [gap] came into the community treasury. It was said that the money should be used to pay soldiers to maintain order. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 427 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1383-05-00-Florence | May 1383 JL | In Florence, a large procession was organized on 24 and 25 January to ask God's mercy for the plague and mortality. In May a plague began with 40 or more deaths per day. | A' di 24. in Domenica, che fu S. Zanobi in lunedì a' di 25. si fece grandissima processione, e venne in Firenze la Tavola di S. Maria Impruneta, e dinanzi a lei andarono tutte le Reliquie de'Santi di Firenze, e del contado, che furono più di dodicimila Cristiani. Le detta (p. 65) tavola si pose in su l'altare, che si fece in su la ringhiera del palazzo de' Signori, molto orevole; furonvi tutti li Cavalieri, ed altri notabili cittadini. Il popolo, che vi si trovò fu innumerabile, pregando lei con gran divozione, che accatti grazia dal suo diletto figliuolo, cioè Giesù Cristo, che guardi questa città, e l'altre di male, e guardici da mortalità, e da ogni altro reo giudicio, del quale in Firenze forte si dubitava, e di mortalità. […] Del detto mese di Maggio cominciò in Firenze mortalità di quaranta persone il dì, e più, e così fece nell'entrata di Giugno. | On the 24th of the month January, on a Sunday that was also the feast day of St. Zanobi, and on the following Monday, the 25th, a very large procession was held and the image of St. Mary of Impruneta was brought to Florence. Before her went all the relics of the saints of Florence and the surrounding area, there more than twelve thousand Christians. The said image was placed on the altar erected on the platform of the palace of the Signori, very honorably; present were all the knights and other important citizens. The people assembled were innumerable, and adored her with great devotion, to obtain mercy from her beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that he might preserve this city and others from calamity, and save us from pestilence and every other evil judgment, of which there was great fear in Florence, especially mortality. [...] In the said month of May a plague began in Florence, in which forty or more persons died every day, and this continued in June. | Naddo de Montecatini: Memorie istoriche 1784, pp. 64-65. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1383-07-00-Florence | July 1383 JL | Great mortality in Florence. In the beginning more than 400 persons per day died, later 8,9,12 per day. Many people flee to Bologna and the Romagna. On 22. July great riot, caused by the Ciompi and on 7th October an earthquake | Nota: del mese di Luglio, e d'Agosto del detto anno morì grandissima quantità di gente in Firenze, massimamente dal mezzo Luglio a tutto Agosto. Morirono molti fanciulli, e fanciulle piccoli, ed uomini, e donne: per dì ne morirono 400. e più; e poì in su l'entrata di Settembre mancò la detta mortalità, e morivanone per dì infino a mezzo Settembre quaranta, e più; poi mancò, e morianone otto, dieci, o dodici per infino a mezzo Ottobre. E nota, che a' dì 21. (anzi 22.) di Luglio, il dì di S. Maria Maddalena, fu grandissimo romore in Firenze, il quale levarono i Ciompi. Poi laudato Dio la detta mortalità cessò via in tutto. Nota, che detto anno a'di 7. d'Ottobre, la vigilia di S. Liperata, la notte furono tremoti in Firenze. Nota, che nel tempo della detta mortalità molta, e molta gente si partì di Firenze, e fuggì la mortalità, ed andaronne molti a Vinegia, e più in Romagna, perchè la mortalità v'era stata. | Note: In July and August of the same year (1383), a large number of people died in Florence, especially from mid-July and throughout August. Many young children and adolescents, as well as men and women, died; 400 or more people died per day. Then, at the beginning of September, the plague subsided, and forty or more people died daily until the middle of September; after that the number continued to decrease, and by mid-October only eight, ten or twelve people died daily. Note that on July 21 (actually 22), the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, there was a great riot in Florence, caused by the Ciompi. Thank God the plague finally stopped completely. Note that on the night of October 7, on the eve of the feast of St. Liperata, earthquakes struck Florence. Note that during the said plague, many people left Florence and fled from the plague; many went to Venice and even more to Romagna because the plague had already been there. | Naddo de Montecatini: Memorie istoriche 1784, p. 66. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1383-07-00-Florence 002 | July 1383 JL | This passage is about a conspiracy in Florence. The conspirators, who were made up of common people, tried to take advantage of the fact that many citizens had left the city due to the raging plague. However, the conspiracy failed. | Rubrica 954a - Come' in Firenze si fece un trattato, pure di quella medesima gente minuta. Nel detto anno [1383] e mese di luglio fu nella città di Firenze una trattato, fatto pure per gente minuta, li quali estimando che la mortalità, della quale diremo, era molto primiera nella città di Firenze, e molti cittadini fuggiti, chi in contado e chi fuori di contado, di lunghi un giorno, o due, e più, stimarono che venisse lor fatto, e d'essere seguiti dagli ammoniti e da'mali contenti. E certo ogni volta, ch'eglino l'avessero fatta a sapere alli predetti, si stimava, loro sarebbe venuto fatto; ma eglino non lo feciono, ed eglino non feciono loro intenzione, ma guastaronla, e le loro persone. Fu lo detto trattato scoperto in questa forma: che essendo li cittadini, come detto è, fuggiti per la mortalità, la minuta gente non partita, ragunato alcuni sbanditi, li quali così ragunati a fine di rubare e d'essere ribanditit, venendo loro fatto. E veramente per quello che poi si vide, s'eglino avessero fatto con ordine, venìa loro fatto; imperocchè li cittadini possenti erano fuggiti la mortalità, e chi fuori del contado di Firenze, e chi nel contado; ma eglino si scopersono prima che non dovieno secondo l'ordine. In sulla prima loro non [non tutti loro] si levarono, e mossonsi da Santo' Ambrogio e per Belletri passando e per lo Prato d'Ognissanti, e feciono capo al ponte alla Carraia. Quelli dall'altro lato d'Arno, non erano in concio, non rispuosono, ed in quello luogo fu gridato; e così si partirono, e nulla feciono; e la gente sdegnò, ed andarono cercando costoro, e niuno ne fu preso; ma assai n'ebbono bando. | Rubrica 954a - How a conspiracy was made in Florence by the same common people. In July 1383, there was a conspiracy in the city of Florence that was planned by common people. They thought that the plague, which we will talk about later, had hit the city of Florence hard and many citizens had fled, some to the countryside, others further away, for a day or two or longer. These common people believed that they would be able to profit from the situation and be supported by the outlaws and malcontents. Certainly, if they had communicated their plans to the said people, they would probably have succeeded; but they did not and could not realise their intention, thus failing themselves. The plan was uncovered in the following way: While many citizens had fled because of the plague, the common people had not retreated, but had gathered some exiles. They had joined forces with the intention of robbing and reversing their banishment. Had they organised their plan well, they would indeed have succeeded, as the wealthy citizens had fled the plague, some from the outskirts of Florence, others further afield. But they unveiled their plan too early and not according to plan. Initially, not everyone rose as planned and moved from Santo' Ambrogio via Belletri and through the Prato d'Ognissanti and gathered at the Carraia bridge. Those on the other side of the Arno were not ready and did not respond. The alarm was then raised at this place; so they dispersed and did nothing. The people became furious, searched for the conspirators, but no one was captured, but many were banished again. | Marchionne di Coppo Stefani 1903, p. 426 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1383-08-07-Florence | 7 August 1383 JL | Letter of Coluccio Salutati criticising the panic over the plague in Florence | Responsum petit generatio, non dicam perversa et adultera, sed pusilanimis, formidolosa et, ut quod volo breviter attingam, profuga et incerta. Te nunc alloquor, meticulosissime Antoni, qui [p. 81] conceptu metu mortis, quam timere stultissimum est, puta Dei manum eludere et eius inevitabilem sententiam fugiens evitare. Quanto melius esset cogente ratione fateri quod Deus ubique est, quod ipse statuit nobis terminum, quem preterire non licet, et [p. 82] quod illa Dei providentia, cuncta disponens, ab eterno previdit et ante seculum ordinavit fixe atque immobiliter ubi, quomodo et quando cuique moriendum est, ut plane fatendum sit hanc fugam, qua nunc fervet patria nostra, non cautionem, sed insaniam esse; insanian, inquam, vanorum hominum, qui malunt fugiendo suam pusilanimitatem ostendere, quam divinam dispositionem cuncta regere confiteri; quique cum timeant videre sepelire mortuos, auderent se iactare paratos armatis congredi, quos pre ignavia primo conspectu vix possent inter gladios intueri. [...] [p. 83] Sed si vos magis hoc tempore timetis, ego vere non timeo; nam, licet frequentiora funera videam, non me magis scio quam alias esse mortalem, nec de morte sum certior nec minus de hora mortis incertus. Vos, qui trepido pectore quod fugi nequit effugitis, si clarioris intellectus lumen habetis, oppressisse huius infectionem veneni quos non videtis quosve diligitis presagite; ego vero quos efferri videor, mortuos sciam; quos expirasse nunciatum erit, defunctos credam; quos vivos aspexero, letus amplectar; quos vivere percepero, letabor aura frui; de quibus nil audiam, non minus vivos quam mortuos arbitrabor. Nunc, quod avide petitis, scitote me cum tota familia valere. Quod et de vobis, licet, ut creditis, salubriore celo fruamini, crebro audire desidero | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 2, pp. 80–83. | None |
| 1383-08-21-Florence | 21 August 1383 JL | Letter from Coluccio Salutati to Antonio di Ser Chello, in which he criticises the medical theories of the plague, such as that the air is the cause of the plague. He cites examples from Pisa and Viterbo. He also gives data on mortality. | Sed pestis, inquiunt, unicum remedium est de loco infecto ad salubriorem aerem se transferre, que dementia est ab aere non fugere venenoso? Leditur venenis, non alitur, humana natura; (p. 89) hoc medici consulunt, philosophi tenent et certior omni ratione experientia clare docet. Paucos enim ex fugientibus secundum numerum mori, multos vero ex remanentibus videmus extingui, ut cum ex fugientibus vix de centum unus expiret, de stantibus in patria pene quarta aut quinta pars, si recte computaveris, absumatur. Hec sunt fere que dicitis; hec in tanti erroris excusationem, imo iustificationem, si bene concipimus, allegatis. Sed de aere paucis expediam. Si venenosus est, cur non occidit omnes? Sed dices: aptior est unius quam alterius natura tales impressiones accipere. Fateor; venenum autem nullius homini complexioni dicitur convenire, ut saltem, licet non occidat, sensibilie tamen afferat nocumentum. Multos tamen hic videmus hoc tempore non solum non mori, sed nec quidem etiam leviter infirmari. An forsan aliquis hominum nactus est turdorum naturam, quibus napellus suavissimus cibus est, qui ceteros animantes extinguit? Sed esto, venenum sit; non est tamen, ut sensus admonent, adeo violentum quin de multis plurimos non relinquat. Hanc autem fugam, dices, medici consulunt. [...] (p. 90) hi demum, quibus quid et quantum credi debeat et de se patet et experientia quotidiana demonstrat, ne parum multa scire videantur, pestilentie, quam Dei iudicium constat esse, remedium fugam dicunt. Nam quid de philosophis asseram, quorium iudicium solet a physicis in his que medicinam respiciunt communiter reprobari, et qui, etsi pungentibus rationibus aliquid astruant, cogunt id quod affirmant credere potius quam ostendant? Vellem autem unus de medicorum aut philosophorum grege doceret cure in eadem vicinia, ex una domo tot educantur funera quot sint ibi viventes, ex contigua vero nec unius moriatur; cur in illa senes deficiant, in altera pueri; hec masculos, illa mulieres amittat; hec, si quid de complexionibus scire possumus, robustiores perdat, debilioribus reservatis; et denique, quod ante omnia interrogari debuit, quid aerem inficiat et corrumpabat? Et si venti, si paludes, si neglecat cadavera vel aliud quippiam, cur in eadem regione pestiferis his pariter obnoxia, non omnes urbes simul, sed nunc ista, nunc illa de vicinitatis ratione vexetur? Cur extra muros civitatis nostre, quod hoc tempore vidimus, usque in ianuas pestis illas sevierit et intra menia nullus penitus egrotaret? Cur Pisana civitatis inceperit intra menia laborare, cum extra portas ubquie salubriter viveretur? An muro separatur aer salutifer ab infecto? An forsan potest obiectu murorum mors (p. 91) imminens aut pestis veniens arceri? Sed vidi et ego, cum tempore felicis recordationis Urbani quinti curia romana Viterbii tenertur, pestem maximam solum inter curiales et forenses terribiliter debacchari; que quidem ad tria milia virorum absumpsit, cum interea nullus civis cuiuscunque foret etatis et sexus penitus egrotaret. | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 2, pp. 88–91 | None |
| 1383-09-02-Florence | 2 September 1383 JL | Letter from Coluccio Salutati; he writes that the Plague is almost gone and mortality is decreasing | Sed hic sedatur pestis, aer pulcerrimus et saluber effectus est; iam pauci infirmantur, et ex egrotantibus longe plures liberantur quam pereant. | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 2 p. 99 | None |
| 1387-01-00-Florence | January 1387 JL | Many people fell ill with a cold following a period of warm and humid weather from November to January. Many people of all ages and sexes died, but more older people than younger ones. | Capitolo XVII. -Come molti infreddarono in Firenze e non per grande freddo che fosse. Del mese di gennaio nel 1386 (st. Fior.) infreddò in Firenze quasi ogni gente e non fu per grande freddo che fosse; ma fu che da calendi di novembre infino a gennaio fu sempre l'aere calda e umida, e dissesi che quella generò quello infreddare; e addivenia che, quando cominciava lo infreddare, a tutti venía la febbre e molta gente uccise, e giovani e vecchi e molte femine. Ma pure de' vecchi moriron più che de' giovani e durò infino a mezzo febbraio e molto isbigotti i cittadini però che di morte fece grande danno alle cittade. | Chapter XVII - How many in Florence caught a cold, not because of the extreme cold In January 1386 ( Flor. cal.) almost everyone in Florence caught a cold, and this was not due to extreme cold. It is said that this was due to the warm and humid weather from 1 November [1366] to January [1377]. As soon as the cold started, everyone caught a fever and many people died, both young and old, and many women. But older people died more than young people, and this continued until mid-February, causing great concern to the citizens, as death caused great damage to the cities. | Anonymus: Cronica volgare 1915, p. 23 | None |
| 1389-00-00-Pistoia | 1389 JL | Grain increased a lot in price and the municipality of Florence had to import grain, otherwise there would have been a great famine. In Pistoia, Arezzo and Città di Castello was a great mortality because of the plague. | Capitolo XXVIII. - Che valse il grano e'l vino in questo anno in Firenze, e come la mortalità fu nel loro contado in più parti. Questo anno fu molto caro il grano in Firenze, alcuna volta valse lo staio lire tre, e 'l vino valse di vendemia dieci fiorini il cogno perché ne fu molto poco,' e tutte l'altre cose furon care mollo, e alli poveri mancò il guadagno, e a' cittadini crebbono le spese, e a gran parte de' cittadini pareva istar male; e se non fosse che 'l Comune, con grande sollecitudine e spese, fece venire di Pelago di mollo grano di più parti del mondo circa di 30 milia moggia, grande moltitudine di gente nella città e nel contado arebbono patito grandissima nicistà di vittuvaglia; ma quel grande riparo li salvò. In questo anno medesimo fu grande mortalità in Pistoia e in tutti li luoghi e intorno a quella; e morivano di posteme pestilenziose e velenose in due o in tre di; e alla città d'Arezzo e in tutto il suo contado cominciarono a morire di pestilenzia, ed ebbevi Castello che vi mori più che 'l terzo delle bocche. E ancora la della mortalità in molte terre d' Italia grandissima; della qual cosa molto isbigottirono i Fiorentini temendo di non averla l'anno vegnente. | Chapter 28: The development of the value of grain and wine in Florence this year and the mortality in its surroundings. Grain was very expensive in Florence that year. Sometimes a bushel cost three lire, and the wine of the harvest was sold for ten florins a barrel, because there was very little of it. All other things were also expensive and the poor lacked income, while expenses for the citizens increased, causing great inconvenience to many citizens. If the municipality had not taken great care and expense to import large quantities of grain from Pelago and other parts of the world, some 30,000 moggia, there would have been a great famine in the city and the countryside. But these extensive measures saved them. In the same year there was a great mortality in Pistoia and in all the surrounding areas. People died of pestilential and toxic abscesses every two or three days. In the city of Arezzo and its entire surrounding area, they began to die of the plague, and in Castello more than a third of the population died. Mortality was also very high in many other parts of Italy, which worried the Florentines greatly, as they feared they would suffer the same fate the following year. | Anonymus: Cronica volgare 1915, p. 88. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1390-00-00-Florence | 1390 JL | Mortality in Florence and people flee to Bologna | Chome messer Beltotto inghilese fue fatto nostro chapitano contro a' sanesi, e chome fu morìa […]La morìa è chominciata i Firenze e per lo chontado, e moionciene ogni in dì da XX a XXX. Molti cittadini si sono partiti e partono e fughono la mortalità a Bolognia. […] | How Messer Beltotto, an Englishman, became our Captain against the Sienese and how he died. The mortality began in Florence and its surrounding areas, every day there died 20 to 30 people. Many citizens had already left and still flee from the mortality to Bologna. | Anonymus:Alle Bocche della piazza 1986, p. 97 | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1390-00-00-Florence 001 | 1390 JL | In January and February fine weather and the crops were of good quality. The entire year was a plague. The harvest was small, except for the wine and oil. | Nota, che nel 1390. secondo la Natività di Cristo, fu Pasqua di Natale in sabato, calende di Gennaio in sabato. Del mese di Gennaio (p. 113) fu bel tempo, e fecesi bella sementa. Entrò Febbraio con bel tempo. Nel detto anno fu Carnesciale a dì 15. di Febbraio; Pasqua di Suresso fu a'dì 3. d'Aprile. Le biade, cioe il grano in erba era, e fu molto bello, e ricordoti fu bella sementa di biade minute. Fu mortalità l'anno quasi per tutto il mondo, fu nelle parti die quà in Firenze; la ricolta fu innanzi piccola, che grande di biada, e di vino, e d'olio fu assai. | Note that in 1390, according to the birth of Christ, Christmas was on Saturday and the calends of January were also on Saturday. In the month of January, the weather was fine and good seed was sown. February began with fine weather. This year, Carnival fell on February 15; Easter was on April 3. The crops, especially the growing wheat, were very good and a good crop of small grains was sown. Pestilence prevailed throughout the year almost all over the world, including Florence. The harvest was small rather than large, but there was plenty of wine and oil. | Naddo de Montecatini: Memorie istoriche 1784, p. 113 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1390-07-00-Florence | July 1390 JL | The plague raged in Florence causing many deaths. To predict the plague with the help of the moon was impossible. Many citizens fled from the city to safer places. | Capitolo XXXVI. — D'una mortalità che fu a Firenze e nel contado in questo anno. Infino del mese di Luglio cominciò in Firenze nell'anno 1390 infermità di pondi, e' medici diceano ch'era ramo di pestilenza. Questo male era lungo, però che più d'un mese durava, e poi la maggior parte di quelli che l'aveano, morivano; e questo male era sozzo e spiacevole, però che per lo gittare del sangue che facea quello che l'avea, appuzzava tutta la casa dove alcuno n'era. Era questo male, a colui che l'avea, con gran doglie di corpo, d'onde seguiva grandi e dolorosi rammarichii; e molti uomeni e donne e fanciulli uccise, e durò insino passato mezzo settembre. E ancora in questo tempo cominciaro alcuni ad avere certe aposteme pestilenziose, e questi morivano in pochi di; e duraro queste aposteme infino del mese di novembre, e molta gente uccise in questo tempo. Poi del detto mese di novembre mancò e quasi ristette. In questo tempo alcuna volta morivano molta gente, alcuna volta quando la luna era tonda, alcuna quando ell'era iscema, e cosi alcuna volta quando ella cresceva; e cosi non si potea per niuno avvisare quando questa infruenza fosse minore o maggiore. E fu la detta mortalità in questo tempo nel contado di Firenze in simile modo, e molta gente uccise. Di che molti cittadini fuggirò fuori della città e del contado in molti luoghi, e li più vi stettono infino di novembre 1391, per certificarsi di quello che la mortalità che facesse e come finisse. | Chapter XXXVI - About a mortality that occurred in Florence and its surroundings in that year. By the month of July, in the year 1390, a disease began in Florence which the doctors said was a branch of the plague. This disease lasted a long time, about a month, and then the majority of those who had it died. This disease was dirty and unpleasant because the person who had it contaminated the whole house where someone was staying by spitting blood. The one who was sick suffered from severe body aches, which caused great and painful discomfort. Many men, women and children died and it lasted until mid-September. At this time, some also began to get certain pestilential abscesses, and these died in a few days. These abscesses lasted until the month of November, and many people died during this time. Then in the said month of November, the mortality decreased or almost stopped. During this time, sometimes many people died, sometimes when the moon was full, sometimes when it was waning, and sometimes when it was waxing. It was therefore impossible to predict when this epidemic would be weaker or stronger. The aforementioned mortality occurred in the same way around Florence during this period and killed many people. Many citizens fled from the city and the surrounding area to various places, and most stayed until November 1391 to see how the mortality rate was progressing and to find out when the epidemic would end. | Anonymus: Cronica volgare 1915, p. 110. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1400-00-00-Florence | 1400 JL | The wife of Bartolomeo, who already passed away in a previous plague, died in the mortality of 1400 in Florence. She left around 4 thousand gold florins to her children. | Passò di questa vita il detto Bartolomeo in Furlì a di ***: morì di pistolenza † in pochi dì; soppellissi al luogho de’ frati minori in Furlì, e di poi se ne fé rechare il chorpo suo in Firenze ed è seppellito in Santa Crocie in Firenze cholgli altri anticessori, onorevolemente chome s’usava pe·gli altri. Rimase la donna dopo lui, e vivette vedova cho’ suoi figliuoli in sino alla (p. 197) mortalità del 1400: in quella mortalità si morì e llasciò reda i figliuoli. Credo rimanesse loro di valente, chon quello della madre, fiorini 4000 d’oro. […] | The aforementioned Bartolomeo died in Forlì on ***, he died of the plague within a few days; he was buried in the monastery of the Friars Minor in Forlì, and later his body was brought to Florence and buried with honour in Santa Croce together with his ancestors, as was usual. His wife survived him and lived with her children until mortality in 1400: in this mortality she died, leaving her children as heirs. It is assumed that they left around four thousand gold florins with their mother's fortune. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, pp. 196-197 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 001 | 1400 JL | The lady Chatelana had three daughters, all of whom died. Two died in the plague in 1400, one in Florence and one in Quinto. Her five sons survived. | Ànne avuti [Chatelana figliuola di Stefano di Vanni Chastellani] per insino a oggi otto o nove figliuoli, ed èssi ischoncia circha di tre volte: la prima volta si schonciò, credo, dal dì la menò a due anni o circha, innuna fanciulla femina; e di poi ne fecie due femine a bene. La prima ebbe nome Bartolomea; e nacque chostei con uno infiato nel chapo, chosì dal lato, era a modo ch’una vescicha, cioè a ttochare: fessi medichare al maestro Franciescho Dal Ponte: e’ la forò in più luoghi, e gittò sangue e puza. E ‘nfine ella non poté reggiere e morissi in pochi dì: riposesi in Santa Crocie. E di poi naque un’altra fanciulla ebbe nome Antonia, e nacque chol medesimo infiato; e questa non si medicò, ma ttenesi chaldo il chapo chon una berretta foderata d’andesia, e ‘nfine e’ gli asolvè lo ’nfiato e guarì bene. Visse chostei sette anni o circha, e di poi si morì di male pestilenziale † nel 1400, di luglio, nel palagio Ispini:riposesi il chorpo suo in Santa Trinita, nella / (c. 48v) sepoltura della famiglia degli Ispini, cioè nell’utima chapella si truova a man mancha ‘andare all’altare maggiore. E questo si fecie per nicistà, chonsiderato ch’egli era la mortalità grande e non si trovava apena chi volesse trarre i chorpi di chasa; e oltre a questo, nonn era in Firenze di noi se non monna Filippa, che chonvenia s’inbochasse nelle chose di bisongnio pe·lle mani d’altri. La terza fanciulla ebbe nel prencipio di quella mortalità, ed ebbe nome Filippa: questa vivette pochi mesi, e inn utimo morì nella detta mortalità prima che ll’Antonia, a Quinto dove era a balia, e ivi nella Chiesa di Quinto fu sepellita. Non abiamo a ffare di più femine memoria: ànne de’ maschi cinque, grazia di Dio vivi. […] | To this day she [Chatelana, Stefano di Vanni Chastellani's daughters] has had eight or nine children, and an accident has happened about three times: the first time, I think, was two years after she gave birth to them, with a little girl; then she gave birth to two more daughters in good health. The first was called Bartolomea; she was born with a swelling on her head, on one side that looked and felt like a blister. She had it treated by Master Francesco Dal Ponte: he pricked her in several places and blood and pus came out. In the end, she could not stand it and died within a few days: she was buried in Santa Croce. Then another girl was born, called Antonia, who was also born with the same swelling; this was not treated, but her head was kept warm with a lined cap, and in the end the swelling disappeared and she recovered. She lived for about seven years and then died of the plague in 1400, in July, in Palazzo Spini: her body was buried in Santa Trinita, in the Spini family tomb, in the last chapel on the left side of the main altar. This was done out of necessity, as mortality was high and there was hardly anyone who wanted to take the bodies out of the house; besides, of us in Florence there was only Monna Filippa, who had to take care of the necessary things with the help of others. The third girl was born at the beginning of this mortality and was called Filippa: she lived only a few months and finally died before Antonia during the same plague, in Quinto, where she was with the nurse, and there in the church of Quinto she was buried. We don't need to remember the daughters any further: they have five sons who are alive thanks to God's grace. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, p. 204 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 002 | 1400 JL | Great mortality in Florence with more than 20 thousand deaths. In summer the mortality came also to Volterra. The majority of the Florentines fled to Bologna and there arose a conspiracy against the government. | Fu in Firenze quest’anno mortalità: morì circha di ventimila boche dentro nella terra, o più. Era Morello podestà di Massa; e cho·llui si stette Alberto e due de’ suoi fanciulli e la donna ed io per insino a dì 7 di giungnio. E di poi andai a Volterra e stetti là 40 dì: vennevi la Chaterina. Di poi vi chominciò la mortalità e tornammo a Settimello, dove era suta grande e ristata ben d’u·mese; e ivi istemmo insino a Ongnisanti, sani, lodato Idi<o>. Morì a Morello due fanciulle, e a mme uno: Idio li benedica! […] In questa mortalità si fuggì pe·lla maggiore parte de’ fiorentini a Bolongnia, e ivi si criò un trattato, il quale venia chontro a molti grandi cittadini de·rregimento | There was mortality in Florence that year: about twenty thousand people died in the city, or more. Morello was podestà of Massa; and Alberto and two of his children and the wife and I stayed with him until June 7. Then I went to Volterra and stayed there for 40 days: Caterina came there. Then mortality set in and we returned to Settimello, where it was hard for a month; and there we stayed until All Saints' Day, healthy, praise be to God. Two of Morello's children died, and one of mine: God bless them! [...] During this mortality the greater part of the Florentines fled to Bologna, and there arose a conspiracy directed against many great citizens of the government. | Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli: Ricordi 2019, p. 250 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 003 | 1400 JL | Great mortality in Florence and in almost entire Italy. One third of the living people died in the region of Florence and many fled, especially to Bologna and Arezzo | Morìa del 1400 Fu in questa state in Firenze, e ancora quasi per tutta Italia una grandissima morìa; e tiensi, e così si fece conto, che nella nostra città di Firenze e nel suo contado, morisse sottosopra il terzo di quelli ch'erano vivi; fuggirono i cittadini il forte a Bologna e a Arezzo e in altri luoghi. | Dying in 1400 In this summer (1400) was in Florence and in almost entire Italy a great death; it is assumed and so it is estimated, that in the city Florence and surroundings died approximately one third of the living; the citizens fled strongly to Bologna, Arezzo and other places. | Filippo di Cino Rinuccini: Ricordi storici 1840, p. XLIV | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 004 | 1400 JL | The plague raged in Florence from the beginning of the year, but mainly in summer. 30 thousand people died and many fled, especially to Bologna. | Pestis signa quaedam ab initio huius anni terrere homines incoeperant, quae mox per aestatem plurimum desaevivit cum incredibili strage cuiusque sexus atque aetatis. Unicum eius mali remedium in fuga repertum est. Fugerunt itaque cives populariter, Bononiam plurimi demigrantes; et tamen in vacua desertaque urbe supra triginta hominum millia pestis absumpsit. | Certain signs of the plague had begun to terrify people from the beginning of this year, and it was soon raging throughout the summer, with unbelievable slaughter of persons of every age and both sexes. The only remedy for this evil was flight. Citizens fled in a body, most going to Bologna, yet even in the empty and deserted city the plague consumed more than 30,000 people. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 3, p. 256. | None |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 005 | 1400 JL | Buonaccorso Pitti left his family in Sorbigliano, where they searched for safety from the plague which was raging in Florence. Pitti went to Bologna and got his family to join him. They rented a palace and they stayed there for four months. In Bologna a conspiracy arose against the government. | [72] […] Il perché diliberai tornarmi indietro e volentieri, perché malvolentieri, con gran dispiacere, avevo lasciati i miei fratelli e nostre famiglie a Sorbigliano, per cagione della mortalità che era a Firenze. Tornai a Bologna, e scrissi a' miei fratellli che ne venissono con tutte le nostre famiglie a Bologna, e mandai loro cavalli e mulattieri. Vennono in Bologna, e stati circa d'otto dì, tolsi a fitto il palagio e giardino de'Bianchi, di fuori di Bologna circa 2 miglia, e quivi temmo tutti noi fratelli e nostre famiglie, eccetto Piero e sua famiglia, che si rimasono a Montughi. Per la grazia di Dio ci salvammo tutti, eccetto che d'uno figliuolo che mi nacque là, il quale si morì. Trovammoci tra di noi e nostre famiglie e di nostri parenti, che là tornarono con noi a nostre spese, continovo circa 25 persone. Stemmo là circa quatro mesi, e trovammoci avere spesi, riposti a Firenze, fiorini 480 nuovi. E nel detto anno essendo molti Fiorentini fuggiti a Bologna, gl'usciti di Firenze sommossono molti giovani a trattare contro il nostro reggimento; e funne capo Salvestro di messer Rosso de'Ricci. Scopersesi il trattato a Firenze, perché lo rivelò Salvestro di messer Filippo Cavicciuoli; e fu preso Samminiato d'Ugucciozo de'Ricci e fugli tagliata la testa e a uno de'Davizi, e dato bando a molti e a molti perdonato, e chetossi la città. | I resolved to turn back and was not sorry to do so, for it was with the greatest reluctance that I had left my brothers and their families in Sorbigliano, where they had taken refuge from the plague then raging in Florence.
I went to Bologna and from there dispatched horses and muleteers with letters to my brothers telling them to join me with our families. They came and, about a week after their arrival, I rented the Bianchi family palace and gardens about a mile outside Bologna and installed my brothers and their families there, with the exception of Piero who stayed with his family in Montughi. By God's grace we were all safe and sound but for a son who was born to me there and died. Between ourselves, our immediate families and other relatives who came for visits, there were never less than twenty-five people staying in the house. We spent about four months there and our expenses by the time we got back to Florence amounted to 480 florins. That year, while many citizens were away in Bologna for fear of the plague, the political exiles seized the opportunity to foment a conspiracy against our governmental among some young men captained by Salvestro di Messer Rosso de'Ricci. The plotters were betrayed by Salvestro di Messer Filippo (p. 65) Cavicciuli. Samminiato d'Ugucciozo de' Ricci and a member of the Davizi family were sent to the block. Many were exiled; many more were pardoned and calm returned to the city. | Buonaccorso Pitti: Ricordi 1986, p. 43. | None |
| 1400-00-00-Florence 006 | 1400 JL | Great mortality in Florence and the only remedy was the migration. Many of them went to Bologna. | Iam millesimus quadringentesimus erat annus et pestis signa quaedam terrere inceperant, quae paulo post Florentiae desaeviit cum incredibili strage cuiusque sexus atque aetatis. Unicum eius mali remedium in fuga repertum est. Fugerunt itaque cives populariter, Bononiam plurimi demigrantes; et tamen in vacua desertaque urbe supra triginta hominum millia pestis absumpsit. | We were now in the year 1400. The plague had begun to manifest itself with frightening effect and before long it was raging in Florence and inflicting appalling mortality on people of both sexes and all ages. The only way of escaping this evil was found to be in flight. So the townspeople fled from the city in droves and many of them went to Bologna. | Leonardo Bruni: Historiarum Florentini populi libri XII, Vol. 3, p. 322. | None |
| 1400-04-00-Florence | April 1400 JL | A terrible plague came to Florence and many people died; in June there were more than 200 corpses a day. The citizens fled to the countryside and Bologna and Arezzo after the feast of Johan Baptist (24 June), but many people died there too. In other cities such as Rome, Naples, Pisa or Lucca, the mortality rate was just as high. In Florence, they had to reorganise because so many people had left. | Capitolo IV. — Come grande mortalità fu in Firenze e altrove questo anno. In questo anno fu in Firenze grande mortalità e cominciò del mese d'aprile, come che prima s'era veduti segnali pestilenziosi assai; però che quelli che morivano, tutti aveano aposteme velenose e pestilenziose, e grande paura n'aveano i cittadini. Poi seguitò di maggiore malizia, però che ne moriano per di cento, tutti d'aposteme; e poi di giugno seguitò maggiore però che erano per di nella città dugento corpi e' più; e poi di luglio molto maggiore, e durò insino a settembre troppo grande nella città; e ancora nel contado di Firenze fu maggiore che nella città, però che in molti popoli morirono la metà delle persone che v'erano e in alquanti molti più che la metà; e molti cittadini ch'erano fuggiti in contado morirono; e fu questo grande numero; e molte castella rimasono mezzo vòte e molte famiglie disfece. E come fu fatta la festa di santo Giovanni, grande numero di buoni cittadini si fuggirono fuori della città e andaronne colle loro famiglie nel contado di Firenze in più ville e castella; e ancora n'andarono assai a Bologna, e molti ve ne moriro nondimeno; e chi andò ad Arezzo e anche assai ve ne morí; e cosí dove n'andarono ne morí in ogni luogo che fu in tutte le terre di Toscana. Era ancora la detta mortalità nel detto tempo grandissima a Roma, che fu tal di che volle settecento o ottocento corpi morti; ma la maggior parte romei ; e ancora fu la detta mortalità in molte terre d'Italia in questo tempo, dove grande e dove minore, però che allora n'era dove a Pisa, a Lucca, a Perugia e a Napoli e in tutto il paese; e ancora era in Lombardia dove grande e dove grandissima in molte città la detta mortalità. Li Fiorentini, veggendo la città vòta di buoni e ricchi cittadini, diliberarono di soldare insino in secento provigianati a guardia de la città e infino in settecento e cinquanta lance di soldati tra per di fuori e per dentro, e cosí feciono ; e aveano allora al soldo mille trecento soldati di fanti. E cosi perché li cittadini s'erano partiti, fu ordinata la città e 'l contado e distretto loro. | Chapter IV - On the great mortality in Florence and elsewhere this year. This year there (1400)was a great mortality in Florence, which began in the month of April, although numerous plague-like signs were already visible beforehand. For the deceased all had poisonous and pestilential boils, and the citizens were greatly afraid of them. Then a greater malice followed, for a hundred people died every day, all from boils. And then in June it increased so that there were two hundred or more corpses a day in the city. And then in July it was even worse and continued on a very large scale in the city until September. It was also worse in the countryside around Florence than in the city, because in many villages half the population died and in some even more than half; many citizens who had fled to the countryside also died. It was a large number, and many places were left half empty, and many families were destroyed. After the feast of St John had been celebrated, many good citizens fled the city and went with their families to various villages and castles on the countryside surrounding Florence. Many also went to Bologna, and many died there anyway; some went to Arezzo, and many died there too. Wherever they went, people died everywhere in all areas of Tuscany. At that time, mortality was also very high in Rome, and there were days when there were seven hundred or eight hundred deaths, but most of them were Romans. Mortality was also high in many other Italian cities at this time, sometimes more, sometimes less, for example in Pisa, Lucca, Perugia and Naples, as well as throughout the country. In Lombardy, too, mortality was high to very high in many cities. The Florentines, seeing that the city was emptied of good and rich citizens, decided to pay up to six hundred guards for the defence of the city and up to seven hundred and fifty lances of soldiers both inside and outside, and so they did.They had a thousand and three hundred foot soldiers in their pay at the time. So the city and its environs and district were organised because the citizens had left. | Anonymus: Cronica volgare 1915, p. 250. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1400-05-07-Florence | 7 May 1400 JL | Ironic letter from Coluccio Salutati to Padolfo Malatesta, in which he writes about Malatesta's letters concerning the escape of the population from Pesaro because of the plague | Vidi copiam littere, quam populo tuo Pensauri scribis, vellemque quod monitis tuis parentes cuncti civitatem relinquerent. Forte sunt pauci adeo lucis prodigi, quod epimediam non curantes libenter menia que tu fugis et fugienda persuades occupabunt; et morientes, ut putas, illa sibi, sed a te vigilantissime custodirent | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 3, p. 392 | None |
| 1400-07-03-Florence | 3 July 1400 JL | Great mortality in Florence, thus Salviati remained in Arezzo with his men. Many people fled from Florence. Salviati himself was ill and some members of his family died. | Partimi [Salviati] della detta Terra di Montepulciano adì 3. di Luglio 1400. Et perchè in Firenze era grandissima mortalità, et dicevasi, che ad Arezzo l'aria v'era sana, et eravi fugiti assai Fiorentini, per questa cagione non tornai a Firenze, ma rimasi in Arezzo con tutta la brigata mia, che io haveva condotta meco, et tutti ne gli condussi sani, et di buona voglia; ma giunto che io fui, parve, che io fussi maladetto con ogni avversità, et d'infermità, et di morte, che mentre che io vi fui, mai non si ristette, et più, che non che quegli, che io menai, ma essendo venuta di Firenze ad Arezzo quella mia venerabile madre Mona Contessa per aiutarmi, sentendo la mia famiglia inferma, piacque al nostro Signore Dio, che ella morisse, et chiamolla a se, a la cui anima Cristo benedetto habbia fatto ver perdono. […] et ancora vi morì un mio fanciullo, che hebbe nome Andrea, d'età di 9. anni, che Dio l'habbi benedetto, e fu seppellito in S. Francesco; et di tutta l'altra mia famiglia non vi fu niuno, che havesse (p. 184) difetto, salvo che io, lodato Dio. Spesivi tra spese della casa, et per l'infirmità, et per i mortorii grandissimo denaio. Stettivi da' dì 4. di Luglio infino a' dì 28. d'Agosto, et quel dì mi partì di là come abbandonato, e disperato, et tornai in Firenze col resto della mia famiglia, tra' quali ne menai dua mia figliuoli maschi, cioè Alamanno, et Bernardo infermi per modo, che mai non credetti si conducessero vivi; pure per grazia di Dio vi si condussero, e guarirono, et in questo tempo, che io stetti ad Arezzo, mi morirono quì in Firenze 2. mie fanciulle, che una have nome Lisa, che era d'età d'anni 7 1/2, e l'altra Margherita, d'età d'anni 5. in circa, et furono seppellite nella Badia di Firenze; che Dio l'habbia benedette, et ricevute. | I [Salviati] left the aforementioned town of Montepulciano on July 3, 1400. Since there was a great mortality in Florence and it was said that the air in Arezzo was healthy and many Florentines had fled there, I did not return to Florence, but stayed in Arezzo with all the followers I had with me. I brought them all there in good health and good spirits. But as soon as I arrived, it seemed as if I was cursed by every misfortune, illness and death, because they did not stop while I was there. And not only for those I had brought with me, but also for my venerable mother, Mona Contessa, who had come to Arezzo from Florence to help me, as my family was ill. It pleased our Lord God that she died and called her to Himself; may Christ have mercy on her soul. [...] Moreover, my child, named Andrea, died there at the age of 9, may God bless him. He was buried in St. Francesco. The rest of my family remained unharmed, apart from me, praise be to God. I spent a great deal of money, both on household expenses and on the illness and burial. I stayed there from July 4 to August 28, and on that day I left Arezzo in despair and hopelessness and returned to Florence with the rest of my family. Among them were two of my sons, Alamanno and Bernardo, who were so ill that I didn't think I could bring them home alive. But by the grace of God, they survived and recovered. During my time in Arezzo, two of my daughters died in Florence, Lisa, aged 7 1/2, and Margherita, about 5 years old. They were buried in the Abbey of Florence; may God bless and receive them. | Jacopo di Alamanno Salviati: Chronica o Memorie 1784, pp. 183-184. | None |
| 1400-10-00-Florence | October 1400 JL | The depraved Lord of Cortona Guccio da Casale came to Florence because of his vow to nurse the sick. He made this so that God would safe him from the plague. But after few days he died of the plague. | Memoria, che del mese d'Ottobre 1400. essendo venuto allora in Firenze il Signore, che era allora di Cortona, che avea nome Guccio da Casale per cagione di suo boto a governare infermi di sua mano in S. Maria nuova, et dovevaci stare, secondo il boto, a questo servigio dì 30. essendo per addietro stato il più dissoluto huomo del mondo, e questo boto seguiva a ciò che Dio il salvassi della pestilenza, che allora cominciava a Cortona, et in Firenze era già quasi finita, et intervenendo che come piacque a Dio essendoci stato pochi dì a fare il detto servigio, si morì di pestilenza, et rimanendo Signori di Cortona doppo la morte di detto Ghuccio Francesco et Luigi da Casale fuoi Conforti, et a' quali apparteneva più la Signoria che a Ghuccio, et mostrando i detti Francesco, et Luigi dolore della morte di Ghuccio, ordinarono di farlo portare a Cortona, et di fargli molto grande honore; | A reminder that in the month of October 1400, the man who was then Lord of Cortona came to Florence. His name was Guccio da Casale, and he had come because of his vow to nurse the sick himself in Santa Maria Nuova. According to his vow, he was to perform this service for 30 days. He had previously been the most depraved man in the world, and he had made this vow so that God would save him from the plague, which had begun in Cortona at the time, while it was almost over in Florence. It happened, as it pleased God, that after a few days of this service he died of the plague. After the death of the said Guccio, Francesco and Luigi da Casale, his relatives, became lords of Cortona, who were more entitled to rule than Guccio. The aforementioned Francesco and Luigi were saddened by Guccio's death and decided to transfer him to Cortona and pay him great honour. | Jacopo di Alamanno Salviati: Chronica o Memorie 1784, p. 191 | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5; Translation by DeepL; |
| 1405-08-04-Arezzo | 4 August 1405 JL | Letter from Coluccio Salutati to Domenico Bandini in Arezzo, mentioning a fever illness there and the death of one of his children through illness | Sunt omnia, quanvis levia, vir insignis, frater optime et amice karissime, temporibus istis suspecta, ut quanvis febris quartane typus parum habeat cum pestilenti febre commertium, metuendum sit tamen, ne sub illius egritudinis commotione pestifera lues (p. 406) oprebat. [...] Ego vero valeo; valent et miei, preter Andream, qui, sicut Deo placuit, Petrum comitatus est. Sit nomen Domini benedictum. Philippus hodie nona die graviter egrotavit cum sigillis et signis; convalescit tamen et, licet febris adsit et ulcus suspectum ingravescat (p. 407), liberationem speramus. Vale et in morte Andree, precor, non commovearis, sed mecum teneas et secum et nobiscum Deum egisse non solum sicut oportet, sed misericorditer atque bene. | Template:TN | Template:Coluccio Salutati 1891-1905, vol. 3, pp. 405–407 | None |
| 1411-00-00-Florence | 1411 JL | Plague in Florence. | L'anno seguente 1411 ci fu mortalità. Morissi Piero Lana; e poi di dicembre fermai accordo con Iacopo suo fratello e compagno, ch'era stato con meco e co'figliuoli di Piero, per mezanità di Dino di messer Guccio (p. 82) e Bernardo e Pagolo di Vanni e Zanobi di ser Benozo. | In that year 1411, there was a plague, and Piero Lana died. That December I made an agreement with his brother and partner, Jacopo, who had been my partner too, and with Piero's sons through Dino di Messer Guccio and Bernardo and Pagolo di Vanni and Zanobi di Ser Benozzo, who acted as intermediaries. | Gregorio Dati: Libro segreto 1869, pp. 81-82. | None |
| 1411-04-25-Florence | 25 April 1411 JL | Buonaccorso Pitti fled from the raging plague in Florence to Pisa in April. But also there some members of his family died, so he decided to go outside of Pisa. He spent in 7 months 1,3 thousand florins. | Presi commiato da lui e tornamene a Firenze e qui stetti insino a dì 25 d'aprile nel 1411. E poi, per cagione che la mortalità ci cominciava, me n'andai con tutta la mia famiglia a Pisa, e menai con meco Nerozzo e Doffo di Luigi e Giovanozo di Francesco miei fratelli. Menai due famigli e una fante e una balia per uno fanciullo che avea 15 mesi. [94] Tolsi in Pisa una casa con assai masserizie a pigione da Bindo e Iacopo e Filippo degl'Astai per pregio di fiorini 48 d'oro. E stato insino alla fine di giugno, uno de' miei famigli si morì di male di pistolenzia; e di poi 15 dì una mia figiuola d'età di 12 anni si morì anche di male di pistolenzia. Il perché mi parti' di quella casa, e andane a abitare fuori di Pisa al luogo di Tomeo Grassolini al quale diedi fiorini 20 di pigione, e ivi stetti per insino a dì 24 di novembre; e tornammocene a Firenze. Trovami avere spesi in 7 mesi fiorini 1.300. Il luogo dove stemmo si chiama Ghezano. | I therefore took leave of him and returned to Florence where I stayed until 25 April 1411, when I took my family to Pisa to escape the plague which had broken out in Florence. I took with me Nerozzo and Doffo di Luigi and Giovanozzo di Francesco, my first cousins, as well as two servants, a serving boy and a wet nurse for a fifteen-month old baby. (p. 88) In Pisa I rented a furnished house from Bindo and Jacopo and Filippo degl' Astai for 48 gold florins. Towards the end of June, one of the servants died of the pestilence, and a fortnight later my twelve-year-old daughter also died. After that, I decided to leave that house and went to stay outside Pisa in a place belonging to Tommaso Grassolini, who rented it to me for twenty florins until 24 November when we came back to Florence. I reckoned that I had spent 1,300 florins in seven months. The place where we stayed is called Ghezano. | Buonaccorso Pitti: Ricordi 1986, p. 61. | None |
| 1411-05-00-Florence | May 1411 JL | Low mortality in Florence, but many citizens flee anyway. | Morìa del 1411. In detto tempo fu in Firenze morìa non molto grande, e molti cittadini fuggirono il forte a Pisa e a Pistoia. | Mortality in 1411. In the aforementioned time was in Florence a low mortality, anyway many citizens fled to Pisa or Pistoia | Filippo di Cino Rinuccini: Ricordi storici 1840, p. L. | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1417-00-00-Florence | July 1417 JL | Great mortality in Florence and citizens fled to Forlì. | Morìa del 1417. In questo tempo fu in Firenze grandissima morìa, e fecesi conto che nella terra morì 16 migliaia d'anime, e tra'signori e collegi ne (p. LIV) morì 9; fuggirono il forte de'cittadini a Furlì e in altri luoghi. E in questa morìa morì Cino di Messer Francesco di Cino Rinuccini. | Death in 1417. In this time was a great death in Florence, and it was counted that in the area died 16 thousand souls, and among lords and colleges 9 died; the strong citizens fled to Forlì and to other places. In this death died Cino di Messer Francesco di Cino Rinuccini. | Filippo di Cino Rinuccini: Ricordi storici 1840, pp. LIV-LV. | Translation by Moritz Uebelhack |
| 1420-06-00-Florence | June 1420 JL | The plague struck the house of the author. They tried to escape the plague by fleeing, but nevertheless many died | La pestilenzia fu in casa nostra, come permisse Idio, che provede bene a tutte le cose, e cominciò dal fante, cioè Paccino, a l'uscita di giugno 1420; e poi da indi a 3 dì la Marta nostra schiava, e poi al primo dì di luglio la Sandra mia figliuola, e a dì 5 di luglio l'Antonia. E uscimmo di casa, e andammo dirimpetto; e infra pochi dì morì la Veronica: e uscimone e andammo in via Chiara, e presevi il male alla Bandecca e alla Pippa, e amendue s'andarono a Paradiso a dì (p. 97), 1 d'agosto, tutti di segno di pestilenzia. E cessò, e tornammo in casa nostra. Idio li benedica. Anche la ragione della Bandecca e di suo testamento appare al mio libro A c. … | God who shows his wisdom in all things permitted the plague to strike our house. The first to succumb was our manservant Paccino at the end of June 1420. Three days later it was the turn of our slave-girl Marta, after her on 1 July my daughter Sandra and on 5 July my daughter Antonia. We left that house after that and went to live opposite, but a few days later Veronica died. Again we moved, this time to Via Chiara where Bandecca and Pippo fell ill and departed this life on 1 August. All of them bore the marks of the plague. It passed off after that and we returned to our own house. May God bless them all. Bandecca's will and her accounts appear on page ... of my ledger A. | Gregorio Dati: Libro segreto 1869, pp. 96-97. | None |
| 1424-00-00-Florence | 12 April 1424 JL | Goro (Gregorio) Dati served as Podestà of Montale and Agliana in order to avoid the plague. His work was higly esteemed by the people. | Podestà del Montale e Agliana accettai per fuggire la mortalità, e fui da dì XII d'aprile a dì XII d'ottobre 1424. Stemonvi gran brigata, e tutti sani per la grazia di Dio; e fui il primo che tenni la stanzia al Montale, e fecivi acconciare molto bene, e aquista'vi poco avere, ma molta grazia de'paesani. Grazie n'abi Idio. | I agreed to serve as Podestà of Montale and Agliana in order to avoid the plague. My term of office was from 12 April to 12 October 1424. A great number of people accompanied me there and, by God's grace, none of us got sick. I was the first to stay in the residence at Montale (p. 137) I saw to it that it was properly furnished and arranged. I acquired little wealth there but was highly esteemed by the inhabitants. Thanks be to God. | Gregorio Dati: Libro segreto 1869, p. 106. | None |
| 1448-00-00-Florence | 1448 JL | The plague raged in Florence. Many people fled to other cities. The plague spread to Rome. The passages talks also about the social responses, for instance that people avoided the contact to the infected, even if they were their relatives. | Interea anno Domini MCCCCXLVIII, pestis invadere cepit Florentiam et per biennium civitatem infectem tenuit, que tamen quasi erat evacuata, non solum maioribus et divitibus, sed et plebeis et pauperibus ex urbe egredientibus et per villas et castra refugientibus. Diutina quidem fuit, sed lenta et paucos de medio subtraxit, sicque morbus ille contagiosus a MCCCC anno, quo grassatus est ita ut prope tertiam partem viventium absumeret, usque ad MCCCCLVII, in quo sumus peste a Domino visitati iam per menses quatuor, septies Florentiam occupaverit, videlicet anno MCCCCXI, anno supra Millesimum CCCCXXXVIII demum, ut dictum est, anno MCCCCXLVIII et VIIII civitas Florentina ea contagione infecta est: que cum postea urbem romanam attigisset, in qua presulabatur Nicolaus V cum curia sua, [p. 83] Fabrianum se contulit. Ubi tunc facta inquisitione et processu contra quosdam hereticos, infectos lepra erroris Fraticellorum, qui ibi diu habuerant magnum receptaculum et favorem, obstinati in sua perfidia igni traditi sunt, miracula consueta ostendentes pulveris et cineris. In anno autem isto LVII supra CCCC, pauci adhuc de hac luce subtracti sunt, necdum cessavit; quid autem in futurum erit, novit Deus. Nunquam autem apparet tantum exterruisse homines talis contagio morbi ut nunc, ita quod parentes filiorum et filii parentum obliviscantur infectorum et cum difficultate reperiantur qui necessaria eis administrent tam corpori quam anime, vel procurent ut sacramenta et ecclesiasticam sepulturam habeant. Quamvis autem nulla sit lege prohibitum ad loca divertere ab infectione libera, ex quo morbus est valde contagiosus (ut quotidiana docet experientia), ac eciam conversationem domesticam et locutionem cum infectis et venientibus a locis infectis [effugere] nisi cura animarum eis immineat, quos de necessitate salutis sue oportet per se vel alium idoneum sacramenta ministrare quantumcunque infectis, tantum tamen abhorrere infectos ut necessaria subtrahantur est contra omnem caritatem, humanitatem et xpistianam pietatem. Itaque etsi humane prudentia est et de ratione medicine vitare infectos, tamen contra dilectionem et xpistianam pietatem est subtrahere infectis necessiara seu non ministrare anime et corpori et ita abhorrere eis ministrantes sacramenta et corpori necessaria ut habeantur tanquam ethnici et publicani nec audiantur eorum misse et officia nec patiantur sacerdotes ire ad infirmos, in quo nullo modo debent eis assentire. Communitas autem pie et caritative providit infirmis ex eo morbo illo tempore scilicet anno domini MCCCCXLVIII et nono pestis. Nam tria milia florenorum statuit assignanda archiepiscopo civitatis certo tempore, modo et forma, ut infectis provideretur. Unde quidam optimi iuvenes per civitatem discurrebant, querendo infectos et dando pullos, confectiones et alia necessaria. | Meanwhile, in the year of our Lord 1448, the plague began to invade Florence and for two years it kept the city infected. The city was almost emptied, not only by the departure of the wealthy and nobles but also by the common people and the poor, who fled from the city to villages and towns. It was indeed prolonged, but slow, and removed only a few people. That contagious disease, which had ravaged since the year 1400, when it nearly consumed a third of the living, until 1457 (the year we are currently in), struck Florence seven times: in 1401, again in 1438, and finally, as mentioned, in 1448 and 1449, when the city of Florence was infected by this contagion. When it later reached the city of Rome, where Pope Nicholas V resided with his court, he withdrew to Fabriano. There, an inquiry and trial were conducted against certain heretics infected with the leprosy of the Fraticelli error, who had long found a haven and favor there. Persisting in their stubborn wickedness, they were handed over to the flames, displaying the usual miracles of ashes and dust. However, in this year 1457, few have been taken from this life, and the plague has not yet ceased. What will happen in the future, God knows. Never before has such a contagious disease so greatly terrified people as it does now, so much so that parents forget their children and children forget their parents when they are infected, and it is difficult to find anyone willing to provide them with the necessities for both body and soul, or to ensure they receive the sacraments and Christian burial. Although there is no law prohibiting people from fleeing to places free from infection, since the disease is highly contagious (as daily experience shows), and it is prudent to avoid domestic interactions and conversations with the infected or those coming from infected areas—except when the care of souls is at stake and they must, for the sake of their own salvation, administer the sacraments either in person or through a suitable intermediary to those infected—it is nonetheless against all charity, humanity, and Christian compassion to withhold necessities from the infected or refuse to minister to their bodies and souls, treating them as outcasts and pagans. It is wrong not to hear their masses and services or allow priests to go to the sick, and no one should agree to such practices. However, the community provided for the sick with piety and charity during this outbreak in the year 1448 and the ninth plague. Indeed, 3,000 florins were allocated to the archbishop of the city at a specific time, in a particular manner, and form, to provide for the infected. As a result, certain noble youths went around the city, seeking out the infected and giving them chickens, remedies, and other necessities. | Antoninus of Florence: Chronicon sive summa historialis 1913, p. 82-83. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5 |
| 1456-00-00-Florence | 1456 JL | In Florence was a shortage due to the weather and a flooding. The city had to provide food for the population especially for the poor. | Eodem anno per inundationem aquarum, in agris impedientem sationem agrorum et aliam intemperiem supervenientem tempore spicationis in agris satis, defectus magnus modicitatis in segetibus repertus est Florentie, et [in] territorio eius. Creatis autem officialibus habundantie, provisum est competenter de frumentis de diversis locis extra territorium adductis. Sed et pauperibus provisum est, quorum a diu in preteritum nunquam tantus inventus est numerus; quod contigit, quia mercatores et artifices parum negotiantur vel artificia exercent, tum propter guerras impedientes discursum per mare et per terram, tum timore nove impositionis prestantiarum, ne nimis onerentur, tum eciam peste civitatem invadente, etsi lente, tamen in futurum magis de grassatione eius dubitatur. Decretum igitur [p. 98] fuit, ut per quatuor menses precedentes recollectionem frumenti, quingenti floreni mensatim expenderentur a communitate eleemosynaliter erogati pro frumento pauperibus in pane concedendo. Quod optimum fuit tum ut peccata sua civitas, eis plena, eleemosynis redimat, tum ut caritatem ad fratres suos et membra reipublice ostendat, nec non ad prudenter auferendos tumultus et clamores famelice plebis. Quid enim non audeat rabies famis, cum aliquando et matres filios proprios occidere et comedere coegerit, sacra historia ac eciam infidelium hoc referente? | In the same year, due to flooding that hindered the sowing of fields and other adverse weather conditions during the grain ripening season, there was a significant shortage in the harvest in Florence and its surrounding territory. Officials were appointed to manage the scarcity, and grain was competently procured from various places outside the territory. Provisions were also made for the poor, whose numbers had not been this high for a long time. This situation arose because merchants and craftsmen were engaging in little trade or work, partly due to wars disrupting travel by sea and land, partly out of fear of new tax burdens, and partly because of a plague slowly affecting the city, which was feared to worsen in the future. It was decreed that, for the four months preceding the next grain harvest, 500 florins would be spent monthly by the community to provide grain to the poor in the form of bread. This was seen as beneficial both to help the city atone for its sins, which were abundant, through acts of charity, and to demonstrate care for fellow citizens, as well as to prudently prevent uprisings and outcries from the starving populace. For what would the rage of hunger not dare to do, when history—even sacred texts—reports that, in such times, mothers have been forced to kill and eat their own children? | Antoninus of Florence: Chronicon sive summa historialis 1913, pp. 97-98. | Translation by ChatGPT-3.5 |
| 1466-00-00-Florence | 1466 JL | A sermon (from Michele Carcano) is about the divine judgment, which was to come, as Italy was being chastised for her sins by the Turks, the plague and the masses of water. | Predighone sopra ai giudizi aspetta l’Italia pe‘ suoi pechati: e sì dal Turcho e fame e peste e grande amplitudine d‘ aqua, che à grande paura non si achonzi il mar di Vinegia con quello di Gienova e somerghando tutta Italia. | Above the judgments awaits Italy for its sins: and so from the Turks and famine and pestilence and great amplitude of water, that it has great fear that the sea of Vinegia will not be flooded with that of Gienova and all of Italy will be flooded. | Ecritures laïques, prédication et confréries à Florence au XVe siècle, p. 347 | Translation by DeepL |
