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  • The Black Death and the First Quarantine: How Venice Saved Itself

    The Black Death and the First Quarantine: How Venice Saved Itself
    2026/06/06
    When the Black Death hit Europe in 1347, Venice responded with a radical experiment: the world's first organized quarantine system. This episode dives into the Venetian measures—the isolation of ships on the Lazzaretto Nuovo island, the creation of a health magistracy, and the primitive contact tracing that saved the lagoon city from the worst of the plague's second wave. We meet the doctors who argued for contagion theory against the miasma-believing establishment, and we trace how Venice's quarantine laws became the model for Mediterranean ports like Ragusa and Marseille. Along the way, we explore the tension between trade and public health, the role of the Arsenal in enforcing regulations, and the human cost of isolation. If you've ever wondered how modern quarantine came to be, this episode shows it was born not in a lab, but in a terrified republic determined to keep its ships—and its citizens—alive. #BlackDeath #Venice #Quarantine #LazzarettoNuovo #Plague #PublicHealth #ContagionTheory #Mediterranean #Ragusa #Marseille #VenetianRepublic #HistoryOfMedicine #Epidemiology #14thCentury #Trade #Arsenal #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • The Plague That Made the Mezzogiorno: Black Death in Naples

    The Plague That Made the Mezzogiorno: Black Death in Naples
    2026/06/05
    While the Black Death's impact on Florence, Avignon, and England is well-documented, its role in reshaping the Kingdom of Naples is less known. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the plague devastated the Mezzogiorno, weakening Angevin rule and enabling the rise of the Durazzo dynasty. They discuss the unraveling of Queen Joanna I's court, the spread of plague in the crowded quarters of Naples, and the long-term economic fragmentation of the south. Lucas explains how the crisis shifted power from the crown to the barons, setting the stage for centuries of political instability. They also touch on the legend of the 'Plague of Amalfi' and the rise of the Neapolitan cult of San Gennaro. A fresh angle on a pandemic that redrew the map of southern Italy. #BlackDeath #KingdomOfNaples #Mezzogiorno #QueenJoannaI #Durazzo #Angevin #SanGennaro #PlagueOfAmalfi #NeapolitanHistory #MedievalItaly #14thCentury #PandemicHistory #EconomicHistory #Feudalism #History #FexingoHistory #PublicHealth #MedievalEpidemiology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • The Plague Doctor and the Birth of Epidemiology

    The Plague Doctor and the Birth of Epidemiology
    2026/06/05
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the strange and misunderstood figure of the plague doctor, tracing his origins from the 14th century through to the early modern period. They discuss the iconic beaked mask—designed not for superstition but as an early form of protective gear filled with aromatic herbs—and the evolution of plague medicine from humoral theory to early germ theory. The episode covers the work of physicians like Nostradamus and Guy de Chauliac, the role of the plague doctor in Italian city-states, and how the plague doctor became a symbol of both fear and scientific progress. Lucas explains the practical duties of plague doctors, from diagnosing patients to recording mortality statistics, and how their work laid the groundwork for modern epidemiology. The conversation also touches on the controversial figure of the plague spreader, the transition from religious to secular medical authority, and the enduring legacy of the plague doctor in popular culture. This is a fresh angle on the Black Death, focusing on the people who fought it from the medical front lines. #PlagueDoctor #BlackDeath #HistoryOfMedicine #Epidemiology #Nostradamus #GuyDeChauliac #HumoralTheory #MiasmaTheory #Quarantine #MedievalMedicine #Renaissance #Italy #France #14thCentury #15thCentury #MedicalHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • The Black Death and the Rise of the Florentine Plague Saints

    The Black Death and the Rise of the Florentine Plague Saints
    2026/06/04
    In the wake of the Black Death, Florentines turned to a new kind of holy protector: plague saints like Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch. This episode explores how the cult of these intercessors rose in the fourteenth century, focusing on the role of the confraternity of Santa Maria della Misericordia and the commissioning of altarpieces such as Giovanni del Biondo's Saint Sebastian altarpiece in the Duomo. Lucas and Luna unpack the theology of plague as divine punishment, the shift from Old Testament wrath to New Testament mercy, and how these saints became symbols of hope in a city devastated by recurring outbreaks. The episode also touches on the rivalry between the Dominican and Franciscan orders in promoting different saints, and the lasting impact on Renaissance art. Weaving together religious history, art history, and social response, this episode offers a fresh angle on how Florentines coped with a world turned upside down. #BlackDeath #Florence #PlagueSaints #SaintSebastian #SaintRoch #SantaMariaMisericordia #GiovanniDelBiondo #Duomo #RenaissanceArt #Confraternities #Dominican #Franciscan #DivinePunishment #14thCentury #Italy #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalReligion Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • The Black Death and the First Public Health Boards

    The Black Death and the First Public Health Boards
    2026/06/04
    After the Black Death devastated Europe, cities scrambled to contain recurring outbreaks. This episode follows the pioneering efforts of Florence and Milan — from Florence's first public health board in 1348, to Milan's draconian cordon sanitaire that sealed plague houses with the sick still inside. We meet the officials who enforced these measures, the citizens who resisted them, and the doctors like Tommaso del Garbo who debated contagion theory. We trace how these early boards evolved into the Magistrato della Sanità, a permanent health magistracy that outlasted the plague itself. Along the way, we explore the tension between public good and personal liberty — a conflict that resonates with every epidemic since. Featuring the lazzaretto system, the role of notaries in death registration, and the strange case of plague saints like San Rocco. A story of desperation, innovation, and the birth of public health. #BlackDeath #PublicHealth #Florence #Milan #CordonSanitaire #Plague #MagistratoDellaSanità #TommasoDelGarbo #Lazzaretto #SanRocco #14thCentury #Italy #Epidemic #Quarantine #History #FexingoHistory #Pandemic #Medieval Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • The Black Death and the Rise of the European University

    The Black Death and the Rise of the European University
    2026/06/03
    In the wake of the Black Death, Europe's fledgling universities transformed from clerical schools into centers of secular learning and professional training. This episode follows the rise of the University of Prague, founded in 1348 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and its role in training lawyers, physicians, and administrators for a post-plague world. We explore how the plague created demand for educated elites, the founding of new universities across the Holy Roman Empire, and the spread of the studium generale model from Bologna and Paris to Central Europe. We also touch on the controversy over the via antiqua and via moderna, the rise of humanism in the 15th century, and how universities became engines of social mobility and national identity. #BlackDeath #MedievalUniversities #UniversityOfPrague #CharlesIV #HolyRomanEmpire #StudiumGenerale #ViaAntiqua #ViaModerna #Humanism #SocialMobility #14thCentury #EducationHistory #Bologna #Paris #Prague #MedievalEurope #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 分
  • The Black Death and the Rise of the Italian Banking Houses

    The Black Death and the Rise of the Italian Banking Houses
    2026/06/02
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Black Death accelerated the transformation of Italian banking from family-run shops into the financial titans that would bankroll popes and kings. After a brief recap of the plague's demographic devastation, they focus on the Bardi and Peruzzi families of Florence, whose massive loans to Edward III of England ended in spectacular defaults that sent shockwaves through Europe. From there, they trace the rise of the Medici bank under Giovanni di Bicci, examining innovations like the branch system, bills of exchange, and double-entry bookkeeping. Lucas explains how the labor shortages after the plague drove up wages and created new investment opportunities, while also discussing the moral debates over usury and the Church's evolving stance. Luna asks about the role of Jewish moneylenders and the connection to the Crusades. The episode ends with a reflection on how the plague didn't just kill millions — it rewired the financial DNA of Europe. #BlackDeath #ItalianBanking #Medici #Bardi #Peruzzi #EdwardIII #Florence #DoubleEntryBookkeeping #BillsOfExchange #Usury #GiovannidiBicci #14thCentury #MedievalEconomy #BankingHistory #PlagueAftermath #History #FexingoHistory #FinancialRevolution Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • The Black Death and the Rise of the Merchant Class

    The Black Death and the Rise of the Merchant Class
    2026/06/02
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Black Death shattered Europe's feudal order and created space for a new social force: the merchant class. Focusing on Florence, they trace the rise of the Medici family from wool merchants to the de facto rulers of the city. The discussion covers the rise of the popolo grasso, the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, the rise of the florin as an international currency, and the role of merchant guilds in reshaping urban politics. Lucas explains how the plague's demographic collapse gave leverage to skilled laborers and merchants alike, leading to the decline of the old aristocracy and the birth of Renaissance capitalism. Specific names and terms include the Arte della Lana, the Calimala guild, Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, Cosimo de' Medici, the Signoria, and the Palazzo della Signoria. The episode also touches on the parallel rise of the Fugger family in Augsburg and the Hanseatic League in northern Europe, showing that this was a continent-wide transformation. #BlackDeath #Medici #Florence #MerchantClass #Renaissance #CiompiRevolt #PopoloGrasso #ArteDellaLana #Calimala #Florin #Fugger #HanseaticLeague #Feudalism #History #FexingoHistory #14thCentury #EconomicHistory #SocialMobility Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分