1348-04-08-Perugia
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| Date startStart date of the disease. | 1348-04-8 | + |
| Date endEnd date of the disease. | + | |
| SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter) | ||
| Date otherOther mentioned dates. | ||
| PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease. | Perugia | |
| RegionHistorical region(s) | ||
| CountryCurrent country | ||
| 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 | Black Death | |
| Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease | Medicine, Poison, Procession, Religion | |
| LanguageLanguage of the original text | Italian | |
| KeywordFurther keyword(s) | Medicine, Poison, Procession | |
| last edited | 19. 12. 2025 by EpiMedDat-Bot. |
Outbreak of the Black Death in Perugia; description of contempory medical responses and cultural coping mechanisms
Text originalOriginal text
Adi 8 d'aprile cominciò in Perugia la moria grande, che a chi veniva male non vivea più che due giorni. Cominciò questa mortalità in Toscana , et spezialmente a Pisa. Fo questa mortalità generale quasi che per tutto il mondo. Si facevano grandissime processioni , discipline et orazioni. Fecero qui da noi alcuni medici notomia : trovarono che vicino al cuore nasceva una biscica piena di veneno: facevano sanguenare per la vena del cuore, et si facevano fuochi grandi, et si cibava chi potesse di cose buone et delicate : non bastavano i cimiteri et le sepolture per li corpi morti. Ognuno usava triaca, et chi non poteva usasse la scabbiosa o marobio o erbella , et embuono et asenso o ruta , santonico, et sopratulto si costuma sempre di portare erbe odorifere , et ordinarono un succo con molte cose aromatiche da portar sempre al naso.
Text translationEnglish translation of the text
On the 8th of April, the great plague began in Perugia, where anyone who fell ill would not live more than two days. This mortality began in Tuscany, and especially in Pisa. This mortality was almost universal throughout the world. Large processions, flagellations, and prayers were conducted. Some doctors here performed autopsies: they found that near the heart a bladder filled with poison was forming. They would bleed the patients through the vein of the heart, and large fires were made, and those who could would eat good and delicate foods. The cemeteries and burial grounds were not sufficient for the dead bodies. Everyone used theriac, and those who could not would use scabiosa or horehound or erba bella, and embuono and asenso or rue, santonica, and above all, it became customary to always carry fragrant herbs, and they ordered a juice with many aromatic things to always be carried to the nose
