Agresta article tutorial 11

Plague Responses in Late Medieval Valencia

Overview

• The article discusses Valencia's municipal responses to the plague from 1348 to 1519.

• Focuses on the intertwining of religious and material approaches in combating the epidemic.

Initial Meeting (July 6, 1395)

• City council gathered to address the ongoing plague which started in March.

• New measures were authorized, including:

  • Charitable donations to appease divine anger.

  • Processions to the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy for divine intervention.

  • Removal of decomposing animals to maintain hygiene and combat disease spread.

Historiographical Context

• Medieval public health incorporates both hygiene and religious practices.

• Previous studies largely separate hygiene and sacred responses; this study integrates both perspectives.

• Notable scholars include Tomić and Geltner—recent work emphasizes the dual nature of plague responses.

The Logic Behind Responses

• Valencia's municipal responses aligned religious actions with public health measures.

• Before the late 15th century, plagues were viewed as consequences of moral and environmental corruption.

• Post-1475, focus shifted towards contagion and external threats.

The Role of Sin and Blame

• Initially, sin was perceived as the cause of plague, linking it to moral corruption.

• The council emphasized reforms to combat sins thought to invoke divine wrath.

• After the Black Death, blame for plague largely shifted to specific sins among Christians, unlike other disasters that garnered collective guilt.

  • Records indicate increased focus on moral and material corruption leading to stricter regulatory responses.

Key Sins Associated with the Plague

• Public sins included:

  • Prostitution and gambling—deemed to threaten both social fabric and public health.

  • Rituals and regulations aimed at curtailing these activities were introduced during plague outbreaks.

  • In particular, blasphemy and lewdness were frequently cited as causes of divine displeasure.

Transition from Corruption to Contagion

• From the mid-15th century, the approach shifted to viewing plague as contagious instead of merely caused by corruption.

• External sources of infection became the primary concern, paralleling broader European trends.

  • Quarantine measures emerged alongside religious practices aimed at protecting the city from plague.

The Role of Rituals

• Religious rituals transitioned from purification to protective acts.

  • Processions became vital in framing the city's boundaries and invoking divine protection against external threats.

  • Concurrently, saintly relics gained significance in civic rituals, encapsulating the intertwining of hygiene and religious practices.

Continued Links to the Poor

• The association between poverty and plague heightened over time, reflecting wider social anxieties.

• By the late 15th century, municipal actions increasingly marginalized the poor as perceived carriers of disease.

Civil Unrest and Plague-Motivated Violence

• In 1519, a riot connected to plague concerns emerged from tensions regarding municipal inaction against morality, highlighting the shifting social dynamics during disease outbreaks.

Conclusion

• Valencia's public health strategy evolved from a focus on moral purification to a model engaging with contagion and external threats.

• Religious and public health responses derived from shared principles, illustrating a complex interaction between civic governance, morality, and public health in late medieval society.

• Emphasizes the mutual reinforcement between spiritual and material practices in addressing the specter of plague.