Recurrence of Plague in Europe in the 1470s

Timeline

1. 1471–1473Naples · Kingdom of NaplesAround 1471, plague again struck Naples and the Campanian coast, subsequently spreading to city-states such as Rome and Florence. Municipal and church records show periodic rises in mortality, with markets and festivals restricted. Although Italian cities already had medieval plague-control experience such as quarantine zones and health boards, port trade and troop movements still made the epidemic difficult to eradicate.
2. 1474–1476Rome · Papal StatesUnder the shadow of the plague, Pope Sixtus IV prepared a special jubilee year for 1475, partly in response to the crisis of faith brought by war and epidemic. Roman authorities strengthened quarantine at the city gates and care for the sick before the pilgrimage peak, but the large influx of pilgrims still increased the risk of transmission. The papacy pursued theological indulgence and public health measures in parallel, attempting to maintain Rome's symbolic and economic function as the center of Christianity.
3. 1475–1480Venice · Republic of VenicePorts such as Venice and Genoa imposed quarantine anchorage on ships from epidemic areas, but the spice and silk trade could not be entirely cut off. By the late 1470s, fluctuations in the southern European epidemic intertwined with the Ottoman–Venetian War and disruptions on Hanseatic routes in northern Europe, allowing European commercial networks to maintain fragile operation despite restricted movement of people. The recurring plague continued to suppress population growth, laying the groundwork for later agricultural labor shortages and social unrest.