The Black Death: London, 1348

Simon Mattacks (0:01)

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Simon Mattacks (1:52)

It's one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. Killing millions across Asia, Africa and Europe. But what was the cause of this great medical catastrophe?

Thank you. We will listen to people's reactions and remedies at the time. And how did something so devastating to medieval society help to shape a brighter future for many? We will answer these questions and more tonight. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of the Black Death.

We begin in March 1348, in one of Italy and Europe's wealthiest cities. Florence is a hub of trade and commerce, home to The bankers, textile workers, tradesmen, and many others. It's a bustling city that feels vibrant and alive. Or at least it did until last autumn, when rumors of a plague reached the city. Since then, Florence has become increasingly subdued. A palpable tension hangs thick in the air. Where friends and acquaintances might have embraced or shook hands, many now keep their distance. Visitors who previously would have been welcomed to the city are turned away at the gates at the slightest sniffle. The streets have become quieter and the churches busier as people pray to keep the disease at bay. Some breathe in the perfume of scented pendants around their necks, so as not to breathe in what they believe is poisonous air. Alas, rumor has it that it's reached the city. A local merchant is said to have returned home from business, complained of a fever and died three days later. He is soon after followed by his family and servants. And though they stayed mostly at home, it's said that others are now ailing. Today, the city streets are eerily quiet, except for the church bells that mark a local's passing. The haunting death toll seems to confirm the rumours and make clear to all that Florence won't be spared. The tragic situation that played out in Florence was sadly all too common in the mid-14th century. None could comprehend the enemy that they were facing, the plague that later became known as the Black Death.

It was an unseen foe that didn't discriminate, ravaging families and communities, subduing cities, even continents. Sweeping across Asia, Europe and Northern Africa, it's thought to have killed numbers in the tens of millions.

Some estimates even say as many as 200 million people died as a result.

Tonight, we will delve into the history of one of the deadliest pandemics ever known. We will trace the plague's spread and its impact in different regions, and consider how people reacted at the time. We will also look at the long-term consequences and how the Black Death transformed Europe in particular.

Many of these changes were surprisingly positive, resulting in better days for many, and paving the way for progress.

Let's begin now with a modern explanation of what the Black Death actually was. This wasn't discovered until centuries after the pandemic, following developments in germ theory in the later 19th century. It was in 1894 that Alexandra Yersin was able to determine what caused the disease. The Swedish-French physician studied the bacteria under a microscope during an outbreak of the plague in Hong Kong.

What was named Yersinia pestis in his honor is widely agreed to be the cause of the disease. Studies in recent decades have found the bacteria still present in the DNA of Black Death victims buried in mass graves. Furthermore, a study in 2013 found the same bacteria in victims of other outbreaks. This included the Black Death's ancestor, the plague of Yersinia, a major pandemic from the 6th century CE.