Chronology, routes, and conditions for the spread of the plague in Portugal during the Black Death

Abstract

Although the last decades witnessed major advances on the study of historical epidemiology, particularly the plague, the impact and consequences of the Black Death in Portugal remain largely unknown. This paper aims to propose a chronology of introduction and spread of the epidemic in Portuguese territory, offering a first attempt of reconstitution of infection routes and chronology. Although direct documentary references are scarce, they provide enough information to present a first draft destined to be improved, corrected, or contradicted by future research.