How did the Black Death affect Florence in 1348?

In 1348, the Black Death struck Florence with devastating force, reducing the city's population by half. This catastrophic event occurred during a period of existing economic instability, following the earlier bankruptcies of major banking houses like the Bardi and the Peruzzi, from which the city never fully recovered.1

The plague caused profound social and moral chaos, which was vividly documented by the chronicler Matteo Villani and the writer Giovanni Boccaccio. Boccaccio famously used the backdrop of the plague-stricken city as the setting for the introduction of his masterpiece, the Decameron, which describes the flight of ten young people from Florence to escape the epidemic.12

The impact of the Black Death was not limited to 1348; the disease remained rooted in Italy, returning in subsequent decades and contributing to a long-term economic depression. This era of adversity, marked by famine and recurring plague, eventually fueled political unrest, including the Revolt of the Ciompi in 1378.13