The role played by anthropic and physical factors in the spread of the plague epidemic in 1656-58 in the kingdom of naples|Il ruolo dei fattori antropici e fisici nella diffusione dell'epidemia di peste del 1656-58 nel regno di napoli

In 1656-58 a plague epidemic spread in the Kingdom of Naples with an impressive velocity and with very serious demographic consequences (but also with economic, social consequences and so on). Without denying the role played by factors linked to the biological environment and to the long absence of the plague from the Kingdom, in this paper I highlight the central role played by physical factors (distance from Naples, the center of the spread of this disease, and geomorphological conformation of the territory) and anthropic factors (preventive systems put in place by central and local authorities to control infected people's movements across the Kingdom) in the spread of this serious plague epidemic.