1348-05-00-Siena
Map
Factbox for ID"Page ID" records the ID of a page. It is is provided by the <a class="external text" href="https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Semantic_Extra_Special_Properties">Semantic Extra Special Properties</a> extension. 657
| Date startStart date of the disease. | May 1348 "May" is not a number. | + |
| Date endEnd date of the disease. | + | |
| SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter) | ||
| Date otherOther mentioned dates. | ||
| PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease. | Siena | |
| 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) | ||
| Epidemic waveAssociated epidemic wave | Black Death | |
| Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease | Grief | |
| LanguageLanguage of the original text | Italian | |
| KeywordFurther keyword(s) | Epidemics, Mortality | |
| FactGridIDIdentifier of an item in FactGrid database | Q1871782 | |
| last edited | 11. 03. 2026 by Martin Bauch. |
The Black Death ravages in Siena.
Text originalOriginal text
La mortalità cominciò in Siena di magio, la quale fu oribile e crudel cosa, e non so da qual lato cominciare la crudeltà che era e modi dispiatati, che quasi a ognuno pareva che di dolore a vedere si diventavano stupefatti; e non è possibile a lingua umana a contare la oribile cosa, che ben si può dire beato a chi tanta oribiltà non vidde. E morivano quasi di subito, e infiavano sotto il ditello e l'anguinaia e favellando cadevano morti. El padre abandonava el figluolo, la moglie el marito, e l'uno fratello l'altro: e gnuno fugiva e abandonava l'uno, inperochè questo morbo s'attachava coll'alito e co' la vista pareva, e così morivano, e non si trovava chi soppellisse nè per denaro nè per amicitia, e quelli de la casa propria li portava meglio che potea a la fossa senza prete, nè uffitio alcuno, nè si sonava canpana; e in molti luoghi in Siena si fe' grandi fosse e cupe per la moltitudine de' morti, e morivano a centinaia il dì e la notte, e ognuno [si] gittava in quelle fosse e cuprivano a suolo a suolo, e così tanto che s'enpivano le dette fosse, e poi facevano più fosse.
Text translationEnglish translation of the text
The mortality began in Siena in the month of May, and it was a horrible and cruel thing. I do not know from which side to begin describing the cruelty and the pitiful ways of it, for it seemed that almost everyone became stunned with grief at the sight of it. It is not possible for human speech to recount such a terrible thing, and indeed one may say that blessed is the person who did not witness such horror. People died almost immediately. They swelled beneath the armpit and in the groin, and while speaking they would suddenly fall dead. The father abandoned the son, the wife the husband, and one brother the other; everyone fled and abandoned one another, because it seemed that this disease spread through the breath and even through sight. Thus people died, and no one could be found to bury them, neither for money nor for friendship. Those of the same household carried them as best they could to the grave, without priest, without any funeral service, and no bell was rung. In many places in Siena great pits and trenches were made because of the multitude of the dead. People died by the hundreds day and night, and each was thrown into those pits and covered layer upon layer, until the pits were filled; then still more pits were made.
