Milan Plague Poison Panic (1630)

In 1630, King Philip IV of Spain warned Milan of escaped prisoners intending to spread the plague through contaminated ointments. Coincidentally, a real plague outbreak occurred, leading residents to believe they were poisoned, sparking a frenzy of paranoia. The city descended into chaos as people accused each other of spreading plague-bearing poisons, resulting in numerous assaults and even deaths over seemingly innocuous actions.