The Great Pestilence (A.D. 1348-9), Now Commonly Known as the Black Death

Name: The Great Pestilence (A.D. 1348-9), Now Commonly Known as the Black Death
Author: Francis Aidan Gasquet

By Francis Aidan Gasquet

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About This Book

A detailed historical account traces the mid‑14th‑century pandemic from probable eastern trade ports through Mediterranean shipping into Italian harbors and then across Europe, reconstructing routes of contagion and contemporaneous descriptions of symptoms and mortality. The narrative compiles chronicles, medical observations, and municipal reports to map effects in Italy, France, the Low Countries, Germany, Scandinavia, and England, and it discusses municipal, ecclesiastical, and medical responses. Attention is given to social and economic consequences, including depopulation, labour shortages, altered burial practices, and subsequent agrarian and communal disturbances.

About the Author

Francis Aidan Gasquet

Francis Aidan Gasquet was an English Benedictine monk and historian, known for his extensive writings on the history of the Catholic Church in England. His works often explore the religious and social dynamics of medieval England, with a particular focus on the Reformation and its impact on Catholic principles. Notable among his publications is "The Eve of the Reformation," which examines the religious life and thought of the English people prior to the schism with Rome. Gasquet's scholarship contributes significantly to the understanding of English monastic life and the historical context of the Reformation.