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Which parts of Europe were affected by the Black Death between 1347 and 1351?
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plague
Image depicting victims of the sixth biblical plague.
The Black Death spread across Europe in a series of waves between 1347 and 1351, following trade routes from the Crimea into the Mediterranean and eventually reaching the northern reaches of the continent.1
The progression of the pandemic by region included:
- 1347: The disease first affected Sicily.1
- 1348: The plague spread to mainland Italy, Spain, France, and England.1
- 1349: Outbreaks reached Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and the Low Countries.1
- 1350: The epidemic reached Scotland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries.1
While the mortality rate varied significantly by region, the pandemic caused a catastrophic loss of life, with estimates suggesting that approximately 25 million people died across Europe during this period.1