How did the plague of 1630 affect Milan?

In 1630, Milan was struck by a devastating outbreak of the plague, a catastrophe that occurred during a long period of economic stagnation and political decline under Spanish rule.1

The impact of this epidemic is famously captured in the historical novel I promessi sposi (The Betrothed; 1825–27) by the local author Alessandro Manzoni. Set in 17th-century Lombardy, the novel depicts the suffering of the population during this era, which was also marked by the Thirty Years’ War and local insurrection. Manzoni’s work provides a vivid, enduring portrayal of the desolation caused by the disease, reflecting the moral and social struggles of the Milanese people during that period.12