Five Centuries of Plague Presence in Albania (Fourteenth to Nineteenth Century)

Abstract From the mid-fourteenth to the nineteenth century, the Albanian territories, like much of Europe and the Mediterranean, felt the devastating impact of the plague, a deadly disease brought on by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This disease has caused a major pandemic in Europe and the Mediterranean and is one of the deadliest diseases in human history. In the Albanian regions, this pandemic appeared with all its demographic and economic consequences, similar to those experienced across the Balkans, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Although contemporary records detailing the plague’s impact on Albanian territories are scarce, available data suggest the epidemic was extremely severe, inflicting considerable harm on the population and economy. The disease made recurrent appearances, each time bringing high death tolls and significant disruptions to the area’s social and economic well-being. During the late Medieval and Renaissance periods, the Albanian territories grappled with plague outbreaks, suffering substantial damage. This predicament persisted until the early nineteenth century when advances in medicine and hygiene began to curb the epidemic’s spread and reduce its mortality rate.