We live in a very clean and sanitised period of time compared to hundreds of years ago. In 1629, Europe and the rest of the world was still reeling from centuries of outbreaks of bubonic plague, beginning with the Black Death in the 14th century. This was the time Milan experienced its last outbreak of disease that terrified and shut down the city.

With many soldiers moving around the Northern Italy region due to the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), due to poor sanitation, the plague spread quickly throughout the area. French and German troops initially carried the disease to Mantua and then infected Venitian soldiers brought it to Milan in October 1629. At the time the city was, as it is now, the main commercial centre of Lombardy. The city initially, similarly to today, introduced measures to stop the spread of the disease. They quarantined German goods and soldiers and people tried to stay indoors away from the infected. However, despite these measures, the plague continued to grow amongst the population. During the carnival season in March 1630 the measures were relaxed and a second wave of cases hit the city. Fear and suspicion was rife, and as Alessandro Manzoni has written about, some people were put on trial and executed, accused of being ‘plague spreaders’. When the disease arrived in the city in 1629, the population was 130,000. By the end of the plague in 1631, 60,000 people had died, nearly half the number of people living there two years before.
Of course it is interesting to note that there are some similarities between now and then. However, considering the history reminds us we are far away from a disaster such as that one currently in Milan. Thankfully we live in a much cleaner and safer world, with far better healthcare and knowledge of how illness spreads. Fingers crossed we will see a slowing of the spread of this virus and we can all go back to living as normal.
Now you know a little more about the history of the last major disease in Milan, try the below quizzes to test out your knowledge!
Plague of Milan: Definitions
Sommario
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How well do you know the words in bold above? Test your knowledge with this exciting definitions quiz!
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Il tuo tempo:
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Categorie
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Well done you completed it. Stay safe out there!
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Domanda 1 di 10
1. Domanda
Free from dirt
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 2 di 10
2. Domanda
Moving in an unsteady way
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 3 di 10
3. Domanda
A disease that causes death
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 4 di 10
4. Domanda
Soldiers
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 5 di 10
5. Domanda
Affected by harmful bacteria
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 6 di 10
6. Domanda
Official actions with an aim
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 7 di 10
7. Domanda
A large number of people or things moving or appearing
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 8 di 10
8. Domanda
Something unpleasant that is common
Corretto
Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 9 di 10
9. Domanda
To say someone is wrong or guilty
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Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
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Domanda 10 di 10
10. Domanda
Common expression wishing for good luck
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Well done! Nice work
Non corretto
Sorry not this time!
True or False: The Plague of Milan
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Do you know your truth from your falsehood? Try this Plague of Milan true or false quiz!
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Well done! Just be thankful you weren’t born in 1629!
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Domanda 1 di 8
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Infected French and German soldiers brought the plague to Milan
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Sorry not this time! It was the Venetians. But there was a strong suspicion of Germans at the time
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Domanda 2 di 8
2. Domanda
The city stopped the carnival from going ahead in 1630
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Well done!
Non corretto
Sorry!
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Domanda 3 di 8
3. Domanda
Goods and soldiers were kept in isolation
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again
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Domanda 4 di 8
4. Domanda
There was a lot of suspicion during the plague
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again
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Domanda 5 di 8
5. Domanda
People were excused from being ‘plague spreaders’
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again
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Domanda 6 di 8
6. Domanda
There were two significant outbreaks of the disease between 1629-31
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again
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Domanda 7 di 8
7. Domanda
Over half the population of Milan died from the disease
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again
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Domanda 8 di 8
8. Domanda
People tried to avoid going out of the house
Corretto
Well done!
Non corretto
Unlucky! Try again