Il Regno di Napoli nelle emergenze sanitarie del XVII secolo. Istituzioni, politiche e controllo dello spazio marittimo e terrestre

In this essay I tend to make some brief remarks on health policies adopted in the Kingdom of Naples in the 17th century, referring to two extraordinary events which pushed government authorities into taking the necessary measures to deal with the health emergency. These two events were very different, both because of their different seriousness and diffusion, and, consequently, because of the very different way to govern them. The first episode concerns the serious plague epidemics in 1656, which was serious both because of its widespread diffusion, and because of the high mortality rates recorded; the second one concerns the plague epidemics in 1690, which had a less widespread diffusion, and therefore also lower mortality rates. Thanks to the analysis of the government of these two epidemics I tend to give an overall interpretation of health policies in Southern Italy during the 17th century. In fact, "policies" and the reasons for the choices made by the authorities emerge more clearly above all during extraordinary events.