The plague was one of the diseases that most decimated the Spanish population. The XVII century was the worst hit in demographic terms in Orihuela, Alicante: with the plague of 1647-1652 the population was reduced from 12,200 inhabitants to around 7,000. Against this background, the new outbreak recorded in 1676 in the surrounding towns was met with greater sanitary prevention. The city of Orihuela was isolated to avoid contagion and the accumulation of grain and foodstuffs was encouraged in order to deal with the possible epidemic. The danger for this city was in the market gardens, as many farmers crossed the municipal boundaries in the direction of Murcia or Elche to illegally supply produce. Faced with the danger of them becoming infected and returning with the disease, the Board of Health ordered quarantines to be imposed on those people who had been in areas at risk. Finally, a more effective cordon sanitaire was imposed, with 4 lines, linking Orihuela with Alicante: the first 2 lines were intended to isolate the outbreaks in Murcia and Cartagena, passing through the Segura River, the third line isolated the municipality of Elche, while the fourth was aimed at cutting off the outbreaks coming from La Mancha. Between the 19 leagues of the cordon sanitaire, 56 surveillance posts were set up with more than 100 operatives and men on horseback, who were permanently patrolling the containment lines.

Collection: Images

Project: 0. What is Europe? The European Spaces in the history of Europe., 4. Family, daily life and social inequality in Europe.

Chronology: XVII

Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University

Link: https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/5103/1/RHM_02_05.pdf

Resource type: Image

Format: Map

Source: Martínez Gomis, M. (1983). "La larga espera de la muerte en una ciudad valenciana del siglo XVII. (Orihuela ante la peste de 1676-1678)", en Revista de Historia Moderna. Anales de la Universidad de Alicante, nº 2, p. 143.

Language: Spanish

Date: 1983

Owner: Pablo Ballesta Fernández (Modernalia)

Copyright: ©Revista de Historia Moderna ©Mario Martínez Gomis

Abstract: Map showing the cordon sanitaire between Orihuela and Alicante to prevent these cities from becoming infected by the plague at the end of the 17th century

Image
Tags