The Devastating Impact of Peste (Black Death) on Medieval Europe

Peste, also known as the Black Death, was a pandemic that devastated Europe in the 14th century. It was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas that had fed on rodents. The disease caused fever, vomiting, and painful swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes," in the groin, armpits, and neck.

Peste was highly contagious and spread rapidly throughout Europe, killing an estimated 75 to 200 million people, or up to 60% of the population in some areas. The pandemic had a profound impact on society, leading to widespread economic and social disruption, as well as significant changes in the practice of medicine and the way people understood the causes of disease.

The Black Death, as it was also known, was first identified in Europe in 1347 and continued to affect the continent until the 1350s. It is believed that the pandemic was introduced to Europe through trade routes with Asia, where the disease had been present for centuries. The plague returned to Europe periodically over the next few centuries, causing smaller outbreaks but never again reaching the same scale as the original pandemic.

Peste has also been known as the "Bubonic Plague" because of the characteristic swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes," that occurred in many cases. Today, the disease is still present in some parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia, where it is often transmitted by infected fleas that have fed on rodents. However, modern antibiotics and public health measures have made it much less deadly than it was during the Middle Ages.