Rome, 1656-57. The plague recounted by Genoese diplomacy

Abstract

The unpublished archive collection of despatches by Agostino Pinelli, Genoese resident minister at the papal court provides invaluable first-hand material for the study of the 1656-57 plague in Rome. The Genoese diplomat covered several aspects attaching to the crisis, including the widening of social inequality, the rise in crime, scientific disputes among physicians, good practices in plague control, and the personal role of pope Alexander VII Chigi. At the peak of the epidemic, Pinelli duly monitored the mortality and morbidity data, relating to his government the figures of the deceased, infected, and suspect cases from the three plague hospitals in Rome. From the cultural angle, Pinelli stands for a sceptical patriciate, unlikely to explain the infection away as negative astral influence or a conspiracy of plague spreaders, and conversely most attentive to its effects on trade and to policies of prevention.