1316-00-00-Northwest-Europe

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Date startStart date of the disease.	1316	+
Date endEnd date of the disease.		+
SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter)	Spring, Summer, Winter
Date otherOther mentioned dates.
PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease.	Apulia, Brabant, Casentino, Flanders, Romagna, Sicily, Silesia, Southern Italy
RegionHistorical region(s)	Burgundy, Friesland, Holland, Mugello, Northwest-Europe
CountryCurrent country	Germany
RiverMentioned river(s)
Natural eventMentioned natural event(s)
PersonMentioned persons(s)
GroupGroup(s) of people mentioned
VictimIndication of victims		+
AnimalMentioned animal(s)
DiseaseMentioned disease(s)	Plague
Epidemic waveAssociated epidemic wave
Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease
LanguageLanguage of the original text	Italian
KeywordFurther keyword(s)	Epidemics, Famine, Fruit, Mortality, Wine
last edited	23. 12. 2025 by EpiMedDat-Bot.

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Great Famine in Northwest-Europe, therefore grain export from southern Italy; epidemic also in Italy

Text originalOriginal text

Nel detto anno MCCXVI grande pestilenzia di fame e mortalità avenne nelle parti di Germania, cioè nelle Magna di sopra verso tramontana, e stesesi in Olanda, e in Frisia, e in Silanda, e in Brabante, e in Fiandra, e in Analdo, e infino ne la Borgogna, e in parte di Francia; e fu sì pericolosa, che più che il terzo de la gente morirono, e da l'uno giorno a l'altro quegli che parea sano era morto. E 'l caro fu sì grande di tutte vittuaglie e di vino, che se non fosse che di Cicilia e di Puglia vi si mandò per mare gli mercantati per lo grande guadagno, tutti morieno di fame. Questa pestilenzia avenne per lo verno dinanzi, e poi la primavera e tutta la state fu sì forte piovosa, e 'l paese è basso, che l'acqua soperchiò e guastò ogni semanta. Allora le terre affogarono sì, che più anni appresso quasi non fruttarono, e corruppe l'aria. E dissono certi astrolaghi che la cometa ch'apparve, ch'ella dovea venire perché la sua infruenzia fu sopra quegli paesi. E in quello tempo la detta pestilenzia contenne simigliamente i Romagna e in Casentino infino in Mugello.

Template:Giovanni Villani 1990, vol. 2: p. 285 1

Text translationEnglish translation of the text

In the said year (1316) there was a great plague of famine and death in the parts of Germany, that is, in Magna above towards the north, and it spread to Holland, and to Friesland, and to Silesia, and to Brabant, and to Flanders, and to Analde, and even to Burgundy, and to parts of France; and it was so dangerous that more than a third of the people died, and from one day to the next those who seemed healthy were dead. And the cost was so great of all the victuals and wine, that if it were not for the fact that the merchants of Cicilia and Apulia were sent there by sea for the great profit, all died of hunger. This pestilence happened during the winter before, and then the spring and the whole state was so rainy, and the land was so low, that the water overpowered and spoiled every seed. Then the land drowned so, that more years after it scarcely bore fruit, and corrupted the air. And certain astrologers said that the comet that appeared, that it had to come because its infuence was over those countries. And at that time the said pestilence similarly contained the Romagna and Casentino until Mugello.

Translation by DeepL 2