IL MAGISTRATO DI SANITÀ DELLO STATO DI MILANO (1534-1786) E LE SUE POLITICHE SANITARIE

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explain how the State of Milan protected itself from epidemics (particularly the plague) and epizootics in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Magistrate of Health (Magistrato di Sanità), which operated from 1534 to 1786, was the organization in charge of this responsibility. The primary objective is to study this magistrature's internal structure, authority, and capacity of involving local communities in preventative action. The second goal is to outline how this magistracy was able to swiftly establish strict sanitary cordons that, despite the era's limited scientific understanding, partially protected the State of Milan from epidemics and epizootics.