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When did the Black Death spread through Europe?
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Black Death
Flagellants in the Netherlands scourging themselves in atonement, believing that the Black Death is a punishment from God for their sins, 1349.
The Black Death ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351.1
The pandemic arrived in Mediterranean ports via Genoese ships from Crimea in 1347, initially affecting Sicily. The spread continued as follows:1
- 1348: The plague reached North Africa, mainland Italy, Spain, France, and England.1
- 1349: The epidemic moved into Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and the Low Countries.1
- 1350: The disease reached the extreme north of England, Scotland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries.1
While the primary pandemic concluded in 1351, there were subsequent recurrences of the plague throughout the remainder of the 14th century.1