Michele di Piazza

The first appearance of the plague in 1347 caused fear and panic among the common people of Messina, Sicily. Medical doctors and philosophers could offer little help, and so the people turned to God, to their patron saints, to fervent prayers, and to the healing powers of holy relics to save them from the disease. In this account by Michele di Piazza, the people of Messina appeal to the patriarch of a neighboring town, Catania, for the use of the relics of Saint Agatha. This saint had long been a bone of contention between the two towns, and the disease touched off a bitter feud between people who had already been touched by the plague and those desperate to prevent it.

The account of Michele di Piazza reveals how the Black Death spread from...