Villani's Chronicle Ended With Plague

Italian banker and chronicler Giovanni Villani wrote the Nuova Cronica, tracing the history of Florence from biblical times through his own 14th-century era. In 1348, he began documenting the enormous loss of life caused by the Black Death. Villani wrote, "And this plague lasted till," leaving a blank for the date when the outbreak ended, but he died from the disease before completing it. His brother Matteo and nephew Filippo continued the chronicle through 1364.

Previous Fact Next Fact