WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Note that the earliest areas of plague were around Constantinople and in the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica, and also the port of Marseille. All of these would have been stops for Genoese ships on their way from Crimea to Genoa. (Genoa is on the coast roughly between Marseille and Milan.)

Detailed explanation-2: -Impact on Europe It is claimed that Venice, Florence, and Siena lost up to two thirds of their total population during epidemic’s peak, while London, which was hit in 1348, is said to have lost at least half of its population.

Detailed explanation-3: -Arguably the most infamous plague outbreak was the so-called Black Death, a multi-century pandemic that swept through Asia and Europe. It was believed to start in China in 1334, spreading along trade routes and reaching Europe via Sicilian ports in the late 1340s.

Detailed explanation-4: -From Kaffa, Genoese ships carried the epidemic westward to Mediterranean ports, whence it spread inland, affecting Sicily (1347); North Africa, mainland Italy, Spain, and France (1348); and Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and the Low Countries (1349).

Detailed explanation-5: -The Black Death was the largest demographic shock in European history, killing approximately 40% of the region’s population between 1347 and 1352. Some regions and cities were spared, but others were severely hit: England, France, Italy and Spain lost between 50% and 60% of their populations in two years.